Comments on: Psychobabble: Which Expressions Do You Love to Hate?

By: Bobsterz

Bobsterz — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Quit being so aspbergers, taking things literally and being clueless about social interaction. ...and being so OCD about how everybody not in your profession should already know about it and say things in your terms. That's really entitled. Do some calisthenics with your social gyrus for more social intelligence. Learn to embrace malapropisms, idioms, euphemisms, humor, and social bonding, and especially diversity, since you, too, are that in spades. Have Temple Grandin build you a pressurized calming device to help you recover from the stress of deciphering people's facial expressions.

By: The Insighter

The Insighter — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:44:00 +0000

I call this "psychologese", and yes, it is annoying and far too common. I wrote a blog about it over on Psychology Today - blog name In Therapy

By: Sonia.

Sonia. — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:09:00 +0000

After studying Psychology since A level (i'm now in my 3rd year at uni), I still find it really irritating when people ask me what I study, I say "Psychology" and they say "Oooh, can you read my mind?" at which point I roll my eyes and force a smile to get rid of them.

It's got to the point where I now reply "Yes, of course. What else do you think we learn?" with the most sarcastically seriousness I can muster at the time.

More often than not, it shuts them up!

By: Allie

Allie — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:47:00 +0000

Hands down, my biggest peeve is:

"Reptilian Brain"

I heard two doctors on Oprah (natch) talk endlessly about how past life regression therapy works (!) because it bypasses your "normal functioning brain" and goes straight for the "reptilian brain," garnering knowing nods from the studio audience.

I nearly chucked a shoe at my TV set.

By: Stu

Stu — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:03:00 +0000

Two terms that I think are way over used and misapplied are introvert and extrovert. Contrary to what people seem to believe, you're not one or the other, and the huge lists of attributes that get attached to each term are by no means accurate for everyone.

By: Whistler

Whistler — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:25:00 +0000

My favorite: using "fetish" to mean "a fascination with" rather than its true meaning (causing sexual arousal).

By: the mad LOLscientist

the mad LOLscientist — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:59:00 +0000

"Indigo Children." Bah. Humbug.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:06:00 +0000

As a student en route to obtaining a PhD in clinical psychology...one of the MOST ANNOYING THINGS EVER WHICH HAPPENS OH SO OFTEN:

When people confuse psychologists with psychiatrists!!!

The general public seems to have a very rudimentary understanding of the two VERY DIFFERENT professions...and I blame this on the manner in which the media portrays these occupations.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Two for me. First is people-first language. "People with schizophrenia" "people with depression" "people who need people." It's disturbing to think you can make schizophrenia sound pleasant to the uninformed world if we don't say "schizophrenic."

The second is that in every mental health job I have worked, the real pain in the ass clients are referred to as "borderline." Borderline has now ceased to be a disorder; it's psychobabble for "this client is so annoying and needy I would gladly chew off my own foot to escape."

By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author)

Jeremy (PsyBlog author) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:58:00 +0000

Thanks for all your nominations - great stuff! And thanks to those of you who have sent ideas by email, can't wait to share them with everyone...