I hate the term 'Mental Illness'

Yes oh yes, I have to go to bed but saw you just wrote this, Oh I hate I hate it too. and the word bipolar too. Just use disabled and thats all it right?

We are disabled.

I agree with you also. I really don't like the phrase disabled though. Foreverlost, you might have it when you say chemically imbalanced. I much prefer that over mentally ill or disabled. Unfortunately, according to the federal government I am considered mentally disabled due to my mental illness. Just because we have this label doesn't mean we can't be out there fighting to earn our right for stability again. I know that for a lot of us that might not happen but we can fight for those that it's possible.

I for one am chemically challenged.

"mentally ill" was probably politically correct at one time - as you indicated that term is very overused when someone loses it and commits murder ...

Today at an employment session they were using "emotional disorder".

"Mentally disabled" does not apply as I am mentally ill but do not qualify for disability benefits. But that is still in the works, perhaps in the long run I will get the disability
benefits?

I prefer the plain term "crazy" everyone understands that term without clarification!

Just plain disabled not the "m" word. I hate using the "m"word, ok. not"m" disabled. Everyone has a disability in one way or another if its not physical its something else.

I totally find "mental illness" to be offensive. How is any more pleasant a term than lunatic?!
We don't go around saying "physical illness"...we say someone is "in the hospital, after a surgery" or whatever the case is..."not feeling well", "ill", etc.
Mental illness....I refuse to think that such an umbrella term can cover everything from schizophrenia to depression to anorexia. I don't think "serotonin-ally challenged" would be any better of a term though!
I have a hard time accepting "disabled" for myself, but I recognize that it would fit a large number of people who are unable to lead "normal" lives due to their "illness".
I really don't know why classifications in "mental illnesses" have not been more politically corrected these past few decades. I guess we're still in the Renaissance of understanding them! If you get a chance to find "Mad in America", it's a very good read about the historical mistreatment of these issues and how they have not really been treated all that differently in recent years.

Yes, yes, yes! I shudder whenever I read books on depression/BPD and read that I'm supposed to be mentally ill. Whenever I read that I feel worthless, like all I am is "my illness" and I don't even exist, only fragments of the person I was supposed to be before insanity got a hold of me.

It's degrading.

I'm emotionally challenged. That is truly how I feel.

The problem isn't in my mind, I prove that working my job the way I do every day, there's a crack going through my soul, just like a cracked mirror there are many facets/perspectives to my feelings that I find very hard to manage/comprehend. Why is that so hard to understand to those "professionals" that coined the term and who are actually supposed to help and support us?!

Great responses and I'm so glad it's not just me who feels that way. My father was schizophrenic and I vividly remember many occasions other kids would tell me my dad was 'mental' or that he was 'a mental case'. I grew up ashamed of him and afraid to tell anyone. I started telling people he was dead because I didn't want those awful things said about him.

Jessica2 (always the wise one) made a very good point. There isn't a need to further explain disability or challenged. Correct that when people are ill they don't explain it to everyone. Only an inconsiderate person would ask other people what's wrong with them when that person hasn't offered to tell.

Mstryder, I don't mind emotionally challenged particularly if you're comfortable with it and it's how you feel but again, just challenged should suffice.

No-one should be asking for elaboration on any illness unless you offer it. All illnesses are personal. I'm no longer afraid to say, 'it's personal and I'd rather not discuss it'.

I agree Fluffums , that it is way too much of an umbrella term. A person with full-blown schizophrenia is a far cry from a stressed out individual.

Departure unknown, what can I say, you continue to put a smile on my face albeit unintentional.

Chemical imbalance is a good discription but sometimes people hear chemical and think drug problem. I don't have trouble saying I am mentally disabled but then my problem is part chemical imbalance and part missing a part of my brain.

Not to long ago I was taking a walk when I happened upon some young children playing on the sidewalk. From a distance I could hear them discussing the fact that the "crazy lady" was coming toward them. I was the only one around. When I got closer the kids asked me if I was the crazy lady, I just walked past and pretended acted as if I didn't hear them when in fact I had to walk around them. Once around them I heard one say, "nope that wasn't the crazy lady." There is a lady that walks near here that talks while she walks. I don't think it's fair to call anybody crazy just because they talk while they walk or just because they act differently. I just wish I could have had some kind of wisdom I could have placed upon these children to let them know that even "crazy" people have feelings too.