Words That Hurt: Medical Terms That Need Rethinking

Throughout my career as a specialist in clinical and medical psychology, I have observed that many diagnostic medical terms and labels are in need of review and reconsideration. The words we choose in clinical settings carry real psychological weight — and there is a growing global movement to address this. The Word "Patient"

Stigma or simply a label?

Some people deeply dislike being called a patient. They experience it as an unfair stigma and are psychologically affected by it. This has given rise to a growing global movement toward replacing it with "the person served" or "the person receiving care."

This concern extends to other diagnostic terms with significant psychological impact:

Terms Worth Reconsidering

Patient → The person served Removes the passive, illness-defining connotation

Kidney failure → Reduced kidney function "Failure" carries a finality that heightens distress

Brain death → Irreversible brain injury Clinically accurate, less blunt in delivery

Cancer diagnosis → There are some cells we need to treat Reduces the shock of the label while keeping honesty

A key distinction

What is written in the medical textbook is not necessarily what should be said in the consulting room. There is an important difference between studying medicine and practising it.

The person seeking help often arrives already anxious and distressed. This anxiety directly affects their ability to accept the diagnosis and engage with the treatment plan. We must treat every person who comes to us as a human being seeking consultation and support — not as a disease in need of a cure.

"The words we choose in the consulting room carry real weight — and they can be part of the healing just as surely as they can be part of the harm."

The Concept of Psychotherapy

Simpler than you think.

Some people associate psychotherapy with something mysterious or hard to understand. In reality, it is far simpler than it appears. The psychotherapist works with the person as a human being in need of help from an expert who understands the kinds of difficulties most people face in life.

Format one Individual Sessions One-to-one between the therapist and the person — focused, confidential, and tailored to the individual's specific situation.

Format two Group Sessions The therapist works with a group of people who share similar circumstances — often a powerful source of shared understanding and support.

The goal of psychotherapy is to help change negative patterns of thinking, support more constructive ways of seeing situations, or reshape the person's overall cognitive framework — this is what is known as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).

This approach rests on a straightforward principle: the nature of our thoughts — whether negative or positive — directly affects our psychological state and our behavior. Changing those thoughts changes the experience.

Related Approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Behavior Modification Psychological Interventions Emotional Counseling Psychological Support

To remove any sense that "psychotherapy" is strange or stigmatizing, consider that the word "treatment" in everyday language simply means addressing a problem or offering help. Treatment is not limited to illness — it extends to any situation that calls for thoughtful, expert engagement.

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The aim of all this is not to sugarcoat reality or conceal the truth, but to engage with the whole person. The words we choose in the consulting room carry real weight — and they can be part of the healing just as surely as they can be part of the harm.

About the Author Dr. Mohammad Mehaidat Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Ph.D · Specialist in Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation
Member — American Psychological Association (APA) · International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)

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