Mental Health, Trauma, and Substance Use

In the context of abuse, the term “perpetrator” refers to someone who misuses their power over another individual to hurt or control them. Some advocacy organizations urge the use of person-first language (e.g., person who abuses), as calling someone an “abuser” can conflate their identity with their behavior. Individuals can be both abuse perpetrators and victims at different points, so consider whether the phrasing could be read as assigning a seemingly permanent, binary role.

Psychedelics, or hallucinogens, are defined as a class of psychoactive substances that can alter mood, perception and cognition, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. The process of taking hallucinogens is referred to as tripping. Psychedelics can cause hallucinations as the name suggests, but also euphoria, relaxation, confusion, clumsiness, vomiting, and other effects. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.1 million people used hallucinogens in the past year. These drugs remain illegal at the federal level; careful coverage will take into account any potential risks to sources when reporting on the subject.

Psychiatric medications are prescribed to shift emotions and thought patterns by adjusting brain chemistry in people with mental health conditions. They are also called mental health medications or psychotropic medications. Clinicians will often combine these medications with psychotherapy and other treatments for maximum effectiveness in relieving symptoms including anxiety and depression. Common myths related to psychiatric medications include that they are a “cop-out” or short-term solution, that they dull one’s personality, or that they are no more effective than placebos. Citing statistics that put individual stories of medication use in context, and bringing in an expert for analysis, can go a long way to ensure thoughtful coverage.

Psychotherapy is the process of working with a professional provider to address behaviors, beliefs, emotions, relationship issues, and/or somatic responses that are causing distress. Psychotherapists treat a range of conditions and use diverse methods, each with its own defining techniques and suitability for treating specific diagnoses. Reporting that implies all a person needs to do to treat a mental health condition is to, for instance, take daily walks or deep breaths is both inaccurate and can stigmatize help-seeking via professional psychotherapy.

PTSD is a mental health condition caused by trauma. It can have profound effects on memory, mood, social relationships, and daily functioning. People will sometimes use the term PTSD when they are joking about distress (e.g., “That movie gave me PTSD”). Doing so can blur the boundary between everyday experiences of discomfort and the serious mental health condition of PTSD.

Rape is a type of sexual assault involving penetration of an orifice without explicit consent. When reporting on rape, terms like “successful” or “unsuccessful” are misleading. Rape and sexual assault can present unique challenges for reporters covering them: There is often a lack of physical evidence and witnesses, and victims often do not come forward immediately, or ever. In the absence of witness statements or court documents, careful reporting and fact-checking can help identify areas that need clarification and forestall surprise criticisms.

Recovery refers to a prolonged period in which a person experiences few to no symptoms. It can be used in both a mental health and substance use context. Phrasing such as “a person who previously used drugs” is more humanizing and specific than terms that appear to sum up a person’s identity and connote judgment, such as “reformed addict.” In the context of a mental health condition, the term “recovery” can imply it is a linear process, which can be misleading and obscure that many mental health conditions are chronic.

Recurrence refers to the return of a condition after a period without symptoms. When describing recurrences, language like “falling off the wagon” or “relapse” can inadvertently assign blame or weakness to the person experiencing a return of their addiction. Describing a “recurrence,” or saying someone has “resumed substance use,” acknowledges addiction as a disease and not a moral failing.

Relapse refers to the return of a condition after a symptom-free period. The term “relapse” is used in the context of both mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders, though using the term to describe the latter can imply a moral failure. Reserving the term for when someone uses it to describe their own experience helps avoid stigmatizing an individual.