The language we use:
-Represents the meanings we have constructed from experience
-Prompts attitudes, expectations and actions
-Should always reflect ‘unconditional positive regard’ for people.
We may be unaware of how the words we use reflect our attitudes and the impact they have upon those around us.
The words we choose reflect our attitudes – that we do (or do not) truly value people, believe in and genuinely respect them.
None of us should be defined by mental health conditions or psychosocial difficulties we experience, or by any single aspect of who we are; we should be respected as individuals first and foremost.
As someone who was brought up with two languages, I have had the experience from an early age of the fact that language shapes our thinking as well as expressing it. If we wish to change our thinking to a more positive frame, and foster that positivity in others, we would then need to become the change itself through daily use of the language which informs this. It can be an ongoing process of self re-education, but that’s Recovery for you no matter who you are.
eaglecommunitycare.com 