The Importance of Person First Speech

I want you to read the title.  Then read it again.

First of all, I did not make a typo.  A lot of people, I'm sure, are thinking I meant "first person" instead of "person first," but they are, in fact, two different things.  First person speech is a speech pattern we use every day in our writing and in our speech.

"I am ok," is a statement in the first person.

In writing, this is referred to as "first-person narrative" and is commonly used when the writer wants to include him/herself as part of the story.  "As I walked out the front door, I felt a sudden chill in the air.  This was odd, considering it is a balmy 95°F where I live," is an example of first-person narrative.

However, what I'm talking about here is "person first" language.  This is a manner of speaking (mainly in the areas of psychology) where a person HAS a condition or a disorder without actually being the disorder.  Sound confusing?  This will make it a little easier to follow:

John is an alcoholic.

John is a person with alcoholism.

Which one of the two statements sounds better?  Most people see John and are like, "Yep, he's an alcoholic."  This is not person first speech.  This is the typical manner of speech that is used by everyone because it is shorter, simpler, and let's face it easier to say.

However, saying the second one has the same meaning, but it sounds more sympathetic.  You now recognize that John is a person who just happens to have alcoholism.  This is person first language.  You are acknowledging that John is a person who just happens to have a problem with alcohol.

Why is this important?

Simply put, acknowledging that John is, in fact, a person who just happens to have a problem tends to lend itself to more sympathetic responses.  People working in the mental health field use this type of language to help bring value to the person with the condition.  They feel they are worth more than just having the condition.

People who look at someone as an alcoholic tend to devalue that person as a human being and attach to them a label that will scrutinize that person for life.  John in the example would think of himself as nothing but an alcoholic with no ability to rise above that label.  He will drink himself to death because he'll think he can not rise above that.  And everyone else in society, does the same thing.  They'll look at John and think, "He will be nothing more than an alcoholic."  "Alcoholics do nothing but drink their lives away and pick fights."

But the truth is, alcoholism is an actual medical disorder and as such, it is recognized as a condition that a person just happens to have.  That person still has value as a human being first, and having the condition second.

Makes sense right?

Now, is person first language preferred in all cases?

No.

For instance, a lot of people who have autism consider their autism as something that makes them unique.  Therefore, a lot of autistic people prefer to think of themselves as autistic.  This is one of those things where I am kind of on fence about.

See, a person who accepts their condition and the uniqueness that comes with it, also finds acceptance in the flaws that come with it.  They find acceptance in the anxiety, the social difficulties, the sensory processing issues, etc that come with it.  They fully embrace the good aspects, and accept the bad aspects as part of the condition.  However, if there is support and therapy that can help mitigate some of the bad aspects, wouldn't it seem fitting to want to see yourself as a person with autism and then accept the autistic label after the difficult traits have been lessened?

As society tends to still judge a person on their limitations, I feel it would be good to still refer to people in full acceptance of their condition in the person first language.  Society tends to look at people with autism as "disabled" or "handicapped" when the opposite is true in a lot of cases.  People devalue the worth of someone by labeling them as anything other than a person.  By saying something like

I am a person with autism.

You show employers, psychologists, and society as a whole that you are a person first with a lot of applicable skills to do the job at hand.  You have a personality beyond that of a label.  You are a unique individual who just so happens to be autistic.  You may have difficulties with social interactions, loud crowded groups, eye contact, etc, but you are more than just that.  You are you.  You are unique.  So, there are definitely reasons to stick with person first speech.

And this type of speech is widely becoming the standard.  It is becoming the preferred standard in the mental health community, and I would not be surprised to see it take off everywhere else as well.  It is something that I can see the benefits of.  We are more than what our labels say we are, and person first language is the perfect way to show the world that.

What are your thoughts?  Do you agree or do you disagree?  Will you start using person first speech in your day to day communications?  Let me know in the comments on social media or even here.  Thanks for reading!!

Video games good or bad???

Well, I saw an interesting article put out by the American Psychological Association talking about how video games are the opposite of depression in terms of neurologically speaking. (I will post the article below).  It talks about how playing video games is a good way to fight depression (or manage it at least).  It talks about how playing video games hyperstimulates the areas of the brain that depression causes to become understimulated (the hippocampus and the reward pathways).  It also mentions that playing games to just escape reality in the long-term is bad because it causes people to not deal with their problems (causing social isolation, etc).

Now, personally, I am a gamer.  I play A LOT of video games.  And I will admit that when I was younger, I DID play with that escapist attitude.  I hated my life back then.  When I was a kid, I was abused at home (phyiscally and emotionally).  There was also neglect (be denied food, toilet paper, showers, etc).  I had been called worthless so many times, I believed it.

Now, my parents were divorced.  So, on the weekends, my dad, would pick us up to go to his house.  We had a NES there, and eventually a SNES.  And I played video games whenever I could there.  It was my escape from reality.  My only time I really cared about anything at all.  Games were a way to get away from everything that was going wrong.  I didn't think about how I would have to go back home... I didn't think about how I was going to have to face the bullies Monday morning... all I thought about was the game on the screen and the controller in my hands.  That was happiness for me back then.

Fast forward to the present.  I still play video games, and I still love doing it. :)  But, the reasoning behind it has changed.  I no longer feel the need to escape my life, because I'm working and living as well.  Video games have settled into the role they are supposed to be... a hobby.

However, there are people who think video games are bad.  Well, with the proper mind set, video games are GOOD, but with the wrong mind set, yes they can be bad.

People claim that video games cause irresponsible and violent behavior in kids.  Again, I must disagree.  Video games in the hands of the young and impressionable are something that DOES need to be moderated.  There are games that shouldn't be played by the young, and there are games that really SHOULDN'T be played AT ALL.  But most games are good games.  For instance:

• Ace Attorney series - These games really boost your logic and deductive reasoning skills.  You find contractions in witness testimonies.
• Any game that requires dodging bullets (Gradius series, Metal Slug series, Contra series to name a few) - These games really emphasize quick reaction times.  Games like this test your ability to think quickly and helps with making split decisions.  Games like this also boost reaction times (meaning you'll slam on the brakes quicker if a deer jumps in front of you).
• Platforming games boost memorization skills (as you remember how you made that jump or got past that area).
• Tetris, Dr. Mario, etc boost spatial reasoning, as you are dealing with falling patterns and must fit them appropriately to keep playing.  You have to recognize what the pattern looks like flipped, etc.
• Brain Age series tests your "executive functions."

With games like this, you'll find that as you play them, you get better and advance farther.  Most games test your memorization skills, and getting better each play through is proof of that.  Dedication and resiliance are tested when you lose and you try again.  (In fact, the more you try to beat a level that is just giving you a tough time, the more determined you prove yourself to be.)  A person is more likely to succeed in life in general with more dedication.

So, it is time to stop blaming video games on violent and irresponsible adolescents.  In today's world, parents spend less time with their kids.  The kids are either on social media, hanging out with the wrong crowds, etc.  Parents are now both working to make ends meet.  And yes, that makes for a very distance relationship between the kids and the parents.  THIS is a huge problem in terms of being a good influence on your kids.  Missed opportunities like this = more violent and irresponsible adolescents.  Parents who make their kids feel hated or worthless, or who aren't there when their kids need someone to talk to, are parents who have kids who begin to act out.  And acting out can include things like commiting suicide, fighting in school, committing crimes, etc.  A lot of it is a cry out for attention (even though it'll never be admitted).

Parents will need to figure out a way to connect with their kids.  Devise some way to ensure that the technology is turned off and there is time for actual communication.  Parents need to be attentive to their kids.  They should be able to figure out that something is wrong if something is different in the way they act or communicate.  Parents should be able to read their kids like a book.  Not in today's age.  In today's age, there is a decent chunk of parents who could admit that they don't really know their kid any more.  That is not a good thing.  If the kids don't know you any more, then who are they going to look up to?

So, video games are a good thing if played for the right reason, but it is important to actually spend time in reality as well.  If you have parents who love you, then put the tech away for a while and actually talk to them.  It would feel good to know that you have people who love you and want the best for you.  They may be annoying, but they are the only parents you'll ever have.  Parents, you need to pay attention to your kids (teens included).  They may be trying to find their independence, but you need to let them know that you have their back, no matter what.  Let them know that you still want to be there for them, and continuously communicate with them.  And yes, life will get in the way, but just don't let it get in the way too much.  Same with games.  Games are good, just don't let them get in the way of life.  Actually spend some time living, game responsibly, and talk to people.  Gaming can be a wonderful hobby to any active lifestyle. :)

Check out this link on this article I mentioned:
How Video Games Can Teach Your Brain to Fight Depression