triggers

2 new years eve's ago, i decided that there were several words that i wanted to eliminate from my vocabulary. since being in my program, i'm finding that there are more and more words that trigger me or make me feel extremely uncomfortable, so i have decided to add those to my list.

- normal (because it implies that anyone who is mentally ill, developmentally delayed, etc. is unnatural, abnormal, or that there is something "wrong" with them)
- crazy, nut-job, nut-case, insane, etc etc etc. (these words/phrases bother me immensely, and i am guilty of using the word crazy a lot, but i want to remove that from my vocabulary because it can be hurtful to the clients i am supporting, regardless of the context)
- the phrase "something wrong with him/her". again, there is nothing "wrong" with these individuals. they are simply living with an illness or disability.
- intellectual development disorder. this is apparently the new politically correct term used for individuals who have some form of developmental disability. however, i feel like that is horse shit. unless someone has an acquired brain injury, or an illness/disability that directly affects how their mind actually functions in terms of their intelligence, this term makes no sense to me. many individuals with autism, for example, are geniuses. for me, individuals with exceptionalities or developmental disabilities is more accurate because it doesn't imply stupidity or unintelligence.

at this point, these are all the terms and phrases that i can think of. however, i'm almost positive that as i continue to grow and learn, there will be more added to the list.