Psychology’s pathologizing terms hint at the underlying toxic paradigm, which says the therapist is the Great Healer and the client/patient is the Broken Thing That Needs Fixing. Some of the worst pathologizing and shaming terms:
“Disorder” presumes there’s something wrong with a person that needs to be fixed.
“Maladaptive” is a shame-based word for what are actually Survival Adaptations.
Perhaps worst of all, “treatment-resistant” is psychobabble that means “We don’t know how to help you since we don’t know how to do anything than what we’ve already done that didn’t work, but we don’t want to admit it so we’re going to blame you.”
Mainstream Western psychology has greatly contributed to my suffering by pathologizing my normal and natural responses to abnormal lived experiences, generally by the cruelty and contempt of those with more power, including those entrusted with my care. It is harmful, and humankind needs it to stop!