Despite your intentions, there are some words that you simply can’t use to describe people without it being at least a little triggering. Here are a few to eliminate from your vocabulary ASAP.
● Calling Someone “Crazy” Or “Insane.” If you want to see someone actually go crazy, call them crazy. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid it. It’s not only dismissive and aggravating, psychology professor Brenda Curtis also says it reinforces the idea that if someone isn’t living up to normal standards that it’s some type of “moral failing.” Just because someone acts differently than how you’d like doesn't make them a bad person.
● Suggesting Someone Is “On The Spectrum.” First off, you’re not a psychologist so stop pretending to be one, and second, this is insensitive AF. There are a broad array of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and to pretend like you know the extent of someone’s circumstance is just plain ignorant.
● Calling Your Neat Co-worker “OCD.” No more jokes about your colleagues being “OCD” because they love to keep their desks clean. When you do this you’re belittling a debilitating condition, and even if they don’t show it, it’s probably hurting their feelings.
● Calling A Skinny Person “Anorexic” Or “Bulimic.” Remember this number the next time you want to comment about how you think the skinny person in your office is “anorexic.” Around 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. So even if the person you’re roasting doesn’t have one, the person you’re talking to about them might. Either way, not cool.
HT: LifeHacker