We cannot change the way our country views and treats people with mental illness without changing the way we speak about mental illness. As a society, we label individuals with mental illness as the illness rather than as people. A simple shift from "schizophrenic" to "person with schizophrenia" can help us as a society personalize mental health issues and work towards real change that can benefit us all. Person first language should be the language of the White House and the government as a whole.
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