Disclosing a mental health issue does not carry the same stigma it once did, thankfully. In fact, some of the terminology surrounding mental health has even passed into common parlance; some people might joke about being "OCD" when it comes to cleanliness or when describing a compulsive shopping habit.
Even when our mental health issues are genuinely distressing, we are now more open to discussing our experiences.
An issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine earlier this year published an article listing 39 celebrities who have opened up about their mental health with the headline "proof that anxiety and depression can affect anyone".
But what about when the mental health issue is more severe or enduring than mild depression and anxiety? What if the mental health problem is labelled, for example, paranoid schizophrenia or narcissistic personality disorder? In such cases, stigma and silence generally still prevail.
Furthermore, beyond depression and anxiety, we still use the labels of some mental health conditions perjoratively. We regularly use psychiatric diagnoses, especially the so-called “personality disorders”, to disrespect one another.
There are thousands of armchair psychologists – and some professional ones – out there who have remotely diagnosed Donald Trump as a narcissist – that is, a person experiencing narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
That might be their opinion but when such speculative diagnoses are bandied about, they tend to be vocalised with mockery and disdain. The popularity of psychology books such as Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test has also inadvertently contributed to many of us misdiagnosing (or diss-diagnosing – using psychiatric diagnoses as terms of disrespect) our bosses, husbands, wives and colleagues as "psychopaths" – that is, people experiencing anti-social personality disorder (ASD).
Again, when we suggest that our boss might be a raving narcissist or a manipulative Machiavellian psychopath, we rarely make such statements with the sentiment of compassion, concern or pity.
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Read more from Justin Thomas:
In space, behavioural psychology and mental health are matters of life and death
Failing to analyse health data can put lives at risk
Forget the decade of deceit – we are heading for a millennium of mistrust
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A big part of this problem is our mental healthcare system’s outdated reliance on specific and frequently obsolete diagnostic labels.
Furthermore, the actual names we have dreamt up for some psychological disorders make matters even worse.
For example, consider the controversial diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). What is the borderline, who decides where the border is and can a personality even be considered disorderly? BPD is a particularly badly named malady and its suggested alternative name, emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is not much better either.
There are, of course, some occasions when people are comforted by having a diagnostic label, however poorly worded. Having an official diagnosis might help us feel understood or give us a sense of clarity about our situation. It might also help us make sense of past chaos and reassure us that we are not alone in experiencing what we experience.
However, we can still derive the positive effects of diagnostic labels without recourse to Greek mythology (such as Narcissus) or vague and inaccurate concepts, such as borderline. Using broader descriptive categories – for example, mood problems, anxiety or interpersonal problems – we can achieve the same goal of providing some clarity about the nature of the issue.
Beyond such broad descriptive categories, healthcare professionals can also provide detailed written lists of the specific symptoms experienced by the individual patient. This approach has been called symptom-centric and problem-descriptive. It makes a lot of sense clinically and to reduce stigma.
In a 2011 statement to the American Psychiatric Association, the British Psychological Society expressed concern about the continuous medicalisation of natural and healthy responses to distressing experiences – in other words, giving psychiatric diagnostic labels to normal human states and traits.
The BPS also suggested that classifying mental health issues as illnesses missed the social context and, often, the causes. One viable alternative is to switch to the descriptive symptom-focused approach.
This newer way of seeing and describing psychological complaints or mental health conditions has already received support at the highest levels of the psychiatric world.
For example, in the US, the National Institute for Mental Health, one of the world’s largest funders of mental health research, recently announced that it would no longer be funding psychiatric research that utilised former illness categories such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder or major depressive disorder.
NIMH now prefers to support clinical research where patients are grouped by symptoms – enduring low mood, widespread interpersonal hostility, persistent worry – rather than the old broken labels.
While it won’t end stigma, rethinking how we conceptualise and name mental health issues will go some way to further reducing the negative feelings and behaviour displayed towards people experiencing them. It might extend the current stigma amnesty beyond depression and anxiety and it might also stop us misdiagnosing one another.
Dr Justin Thomas is professor of psychology at Zayed University
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ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
The%20specs
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
More Iraq election coverage:
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.