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?

The first term worth examining is the word "patient" itself. 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" — The Person Served.

This concern extends to other diagnostic terms with significant psychological impact: kidney failure, stroke, brain death, paralysis, "cancer survivor" and others. These words can heighten anxiety and distress in ways that go beyond what the medical condition itself requires.

We therefore recommend that clinicians use language that is close to the medical diagnosis but carries less psychological burden. In cancer cases, for example, it may be enough to inform the person and their family that "there is a growth" or "some cells are not functioning as they should, and we will treat that." There is an important distinction between studying medicine and practising it — what is written in the medical textbook is not necessarily what should be said in the consulting room.

The person seeking help often arrives already anxious and distressed by their symptoms. 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 Concept of Psychotherapy — Simpler Than You Think

Some people associate psychotherapy with something mysterious, unusual, 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. This happens through:

Individual sessions: one-to-one between the therapist and the person

Group sessions: the therapist working with a group of people who share similar circumstances

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 include Behavior Modification, Psychological Interventions, and psychological and emotional counseling and 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. We speak of treating economic problems, treating social difficulties, treating organizational challenges. Treatment is not limited to illness — it extends to any situation that calls for thoughtful, expert engagement.

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.