Casual use of mental health terms like ‘OCD’ and ‘ADHD’ trivialises real conditions
Experts warn against casually describing everyday behaviours as mental health conditions, diluting the meaning of disorders like OCD and ADHD.
Using mental health terminology loosely—such as calling a tidy desk "OCD" or blaming boredom on "ADHD"—risks trivialising genuine psychiatric conditions. The practice reflects a phenomenon known as "concept creep", where clinical terms lose their precision as they enter everyday language. This casual usage can undermine understanding of what these conditions actually involve and their real impact on people who experience them.
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RNZ
Why we need to stop saying 'I'm so OCD' or 'everyone's got ADHD'
A tidy desk becomes "OCD". Bored in a meeting? "ADHD". A disappointing exam result? "That was traumatising." It's part of the idea behind "concept creep".