Science: My adult sons’ mental health issues ignited my interest in learning neurobiology at an accessible level —  about our mental, emotional, and sensory processes and what changes for so many people. As a non-scientist, I take time to understand the science before “translating” it to lay language. I aim for accuracy and clarity, but mental health disorders are exceedingly complex. I’m interested in new research, the evolutionary roots of an emotion or disorder, and the history of conceptualizing our understanding, which often begins with Freud.

My Approach: My web searches reveal three types of information. 1) explanatory, but often too surface-level (with bulleted lists of everything), 2) probing, but often too difficult to understand (research papers), and 3) personal storytelling, highly engaging but not generalizable (found in blogs or social media). Stories are individual trees in a forest. We need the science to see the forest. I see my blog as a bit of all three: bullets, science, stories. I seek to deepen understanding of the mysteries of what makes us function — or function differently. Understanding is a precursor to change, self-improvement, and feeling better about ourselves and our place in the world.

Topics and Audiences: I try to approach sensitive topics in a humane way and connect with anyone who’s having a hard time, either because of what’s going on within themselves, in a relationship with another, or with being different in an unforgiving world. I chose topics to start that related to my sons, but soon broadened to topics that held my interest — like synesthesia, self-identity formation, the origins of narcissism, or the concept of bipolar vulnerability. I write for concerned parents, spouses, adult children, or anyone curious about why they or someone they love is affected, afflicted, or just different.

Advocacy: It’s a national disgrace that not enough resources are available, accessible, and affordable for those suffering from mental health conditions or stigmatized by being different. The world is a tough enough place without being further disadvantaged by going untreated or, worse, misdiagnosed. Excellent care is often private and therefore not covered by insurance. Online care is popular but isn’t always safe — a poorly trained therapist can do more harm than doing nothing. We need government funding for research and resources. We need more attention, care, and humanity. Change is slow and uneven, but I have hope science and policy will come together within my lifetime.

If I knew then what I know now, I might have become a patient advocate — someone who could “reconnoiter” the corridors of medicine and bureaucracy for people too ill or overwhelmed to fight their way through.

Writing: While not an expert, I’m curious and want to learn as I go. I write for readers with different levels of interest. I don’t use terms, jargon, or theoretical concepts unless they’re clearly defined. Jargon exists because it’s handy, but it’s also annoying. Inevitably, I rely on psych-speak, but I translate what it means on the spot — with more detailed definitions in the accompanying Glossary. All writing is original, unless I indicate I’m paraphrasing.

Complexity of Language: Across all my blog series, I’m careful with language — not to soften reality, but to keep neurological and biological patterns from being mistaken for moral judgments about who a person is or how they behave. Language can lead to stigma. I appreciate the power of language. Other examples:

• Synonyms: Worry, concern, stress are loose synonyms and milder than anxiety. A New York Times article noted, “Worry happens in your mind, stress happens in your body, and anxiety happens in your mind and your body. In small doses, worry, stress, and anxiety can be positive forces in our lives. But research shows that most of us are too worried, too stressed, and too anxious.” Synonyms keep coming: dread, nervous, anxious, tension….
• Acronyms: For the sake of brevity, I refer to mental health conditions by their acronyms. I always spell out terms before using the acronym. Like BD for bipolar disorder. I found that narcissists refer to themselves as narcs. I don’t do that, unless directly quoting someone.
• Polysemes: This is a perfect term for the language issue I frequently encounter: a polyseme is a familiar word that carries different meanings depending on context — in this case, science. For example, energy in everyday language often means motivation or enthusiasm. In psychology, it refers to how activated the brain–body system is (wakefulness, drive, intensity), not willpower or character. Likewise, temperamental commonly implies moodiness, but here it refers to biologically rooted response patterns — how a nervous system reacts to stress, reward, and change — rather than behavior or personality flaws.

Changing Language: I’m all for changing terminology that’s inherently stigmatizing and prejudicial. Terms from the mid-20th century are horrible, but so was the treatment. We’ve come a long way. But there comes a a point where the push for revised language can go too far, and the writing gets bogged down. So while I agree, as a writer I can’t always comply. I try not to offend and apologize if I’ve crossed the line. For example:

• Narcissist, narcissistic, and narcissism are tough words to type — and yet there are no handy shortcuts. What I won’t do is repeatedly write person with narcissistic tendencies or something similar. I use narcissist to cover anyone on the narcissist spectrum, with context making it clear whether I’m discussing mild or severe conditions.
• I wrote several posts on autism, using the accepted term autism spectrum disorder or ASD. But then read how people with autism don’t like that term, because they don’t consider themselves to have a disorder. So I replaced all ASDs with just, simply, autism. And since people with autism call themselves autists, I did that sparingly.
• Using multiple, very-long terms starting with neuro– begs for more distinction and brevity. So I used ND for neurodivergent and NT for neurotypical.
• Normal is out, unless quotations denote it exists in the eye of the beholder. Abnormal is loaded with negativity. Typical/atypical are more neutral. Everything’s on a spectrum and that goes for neurodivergence — or neurospectrum — a term I like but didn’t find used too often. I like it as a term for expressing a compassionate, peaceful ND-NT coexistence.
• I use LGBTQ+ because it’s understood, but it’s pretty unwieldy and impersonal. I read a commentary in The New York Times suggesting we simply reduce the string of letters to just Q. I concur.

Illustrations: I pluck illustrations from free image sites (Shutterstock, iStock, Alamy, etc.) and try to give
credit, when possible. I cite sources for original artwork or graphics, often from science sites.

Glossary: Most words in bold are defined in the accompanying glossary (hover over them or click to go to the glossary). Sometimes glossary definitions use terms that need further defining. Glossary definition writing is not original. Originally, I pulled definitions from credible sources and then edited for clarity and brevity. More recently, I’ve relied on ChatGPT to write glossary definitions – it’s hard to deny it’s a time saver – but then, I edit for relevance and clarity.

Citations: I cite sources within the post and at the end via hyperlinks. But this is not an academic paper, so my citations aren’t properly footnoted. Where there are no citations but lots of information, I list all sources. Scientific sources are all credible and reliable.

Chat GPT/AI: When I started blog writing, AI was just beginning, its content not always reliable. Now, ChatGPT responds to questions like a hovering genius presence with increasingly comprehensive and accurate info. I’ve chatted with Chat GPT for guidance on how to use it in my writing. Here’s what we decided: Chat GPT will help with outlining, translating, and distilling science in the blink of an eye, but writing is my job. Lately, I will get some editing help. Consider this my overall citation for ChatGPT’s many contributions. 

My Charts and Graphics: All colorful charts and many graphics are original, unless otherwise noted. I use them to enliven some “dry scientific” texts and definitions, especially when they come from multiple sources, and to compare and contrast concepts. It’s a way to see a lot of information at a glance. The other benefit of the tables: they’re easy to skip over if you’re not interested.

Mistakes: Truly, I don’t pretend to be an expert, and I’ve tried hard to get it right. If you catch a mistake, please correct me kindly.

Bylines and Pseudonyms: My sons’ and my bylines are pseudonyms to protect privacy. Our stories are deeply personal, so some degree of anonymity is essential. All stories are real or “composites” and duly noted. 

Feedback: Part of mental health is the ability to receive well-intentioned, constructive feedback. I invite you to share yours. Contact Me.