Laypeople’s use of what is called, psychology terms, or “therapy-speak,” have entered mainstream conversations to describe complex emotions, often with different meanings than their clinical definitions.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, called the DSM-5. is the standard classification of mental disorders published by the Americaan Psychiatric Association (APA).

It provides a comprehensive guide for diagnosing and classifying mental health and brain-related conditions, and serves as a crucial resource for clinicians, researchers, and health professionals.

However, in the 21st century, laypeople have pushed aside the DSM and have entered mainstream conversations, using psychiatric diagnostic terms on a regular day-by-day basis to describe quite complex emotions, often with different meanings than their clinical definitions. The influence extends to Social media which has made it far too easy for people to package self-interest, personal experiences, and minimal training, as if it were equivalent to legitimate clinical expertise, said a Linkedin professional;

Today I am looking at 4 of these diagnoses and uncovering the real dangers.

1. BIPOLAR Disorder

The National Institutes of Health indicates that laypeople often misuse “bipolar” as a colloquial adjective to describe normal mood swings, irritability, or changing emotions, which can trivialize the severe, chronic nature of the actual disorder.

What are THE REAL DANGERS? :

-People frequently say someone is “bipolar” to label them as “unstable,” “moody,” or “crazy,” which contributes to stigma. Remember, people must live up to labels we put on them which can create stigma.

-Laypeople may not recognize the intense, often debilitating nature of mania and depression, sometimes confusing it with simple irritability or teenage behaviors.

-Celebrities have major influence on pop culture and Some studies suggest media coverage and celebrities discussing their own bipolar disorder have made the term more “acceptable” or less stigmatizing, but this has also led to it being treated as a favorable or “trendy” self-diagnosis, sometimes associated with the simplicity of creativity.

-Symptoms like mania or irritability are sometimes misidentified as just “being energetic” or, conversely, as merely anxiety or depression, or ADHD.

But it is important to differentiate between typical emotional ups and downs and the uncontrollable, extreme mood shifts of clinical bipolar disorder, which often requires professional medical intervention.

Bipolar as a symptom of Survival Mode Syndrome

Polarity is a symptom of Survival mode. The term ‘bipolar” is used only in the sense that we humans take an extreme positioning on any polar line – for example, one extreme would be depression, while the other extreme is joy or, extreme elation.

As a reminder, the goal is to move to the center of any polar line in order to achieve balance and to decrease mood instability. One modality, Cognitive behavioral therapy can help.

2. ADHD

Let me preface by saying the DSM is fallable but at least it provides guidelines of research that keeps us on a professional path. That said, let me remind you that DSM5 eleminated Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and combined it with ADHD which, I personally declare a mistake because everybody has ADD, the business in our heads but not everyone has the motor or hyperactivity of ADHD which can be seen.

Laypeople often misunderstand ADHD as a simple lack of discipline rather than a complex nervous system condition involving executive function deficits, or in the case of Survival mode syndrome, a malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system.

What are THE REAL DANGERS of lay use?

-While biological explanations can reduce social stigma, they may also lead to beliefs that the disorder is untreatable, but we know that healing is possible with proper understanding of the “why” or root cause.

-Another danger – Viewing ADHD solely through a biological lens can reduce blame but may make people view it as less manageable, according to PubMed research.

-Many, particularly women, mask symptoms, leading to late diagnosis and disbelief from laypeople. Remember “disbelief and lack of trust are symptoms of survival mode syndrome.

-Impulsivity and emotional reactivity are often misjudged as poor character rather than as malfunction challenges.

-Laypeople may not understand that feeling overwhelmed can cause an ADHD brain to freeze, leading to an inability to start tasks. This is the same positioning in the amydgdala of either fight, flight or freeze. In this case what’s called ADHD brain freeze is the chosen position. 

-Individuals with ADHD may feel misunderstood and may face challenges in forming connections, according to YouTube.

-Laypeople often fail to realize that individuals with ADHD may experience intense emotional pain from any perceived rejection.

-Despite these challenges, many with ADHD are highly observant of social dynamics due to hypervigilance, as reported on Instagram.

Is ADHD a symptom of Survival Mode Syndrome

Remember, ADHD is a symptom of survival mode syndrome and the brain freeze is what happened in early childhood when the child’s underdeveloped brain w/o the capacity to understand the context of most things that happened to them on a day-to-day basis, become fearful, and our pre-mature brain interpreted these experiences as dangerous, triggering our internal alarm, even when there was no real danger, causing the brain to become frozen in a protective posture. In other words, the sympathetic nervous system stays active.

Whether it is the old ADD or the new ADHD, it’s an emotional response to fear. How does fear feel?  It’s like an intense, overwhelming, or persistent sense of danger, anxiety, or panic, often accompanied by mental racing, dread, or a compulsion to avoid situations. It ranges from mild worry to severe terror, causing hyper-awareness of surroundings, mental freezing, or a strong urge to escape. This is when a position of fight, flight or freeze is established.

3. NARCISSISM

Laypeople often use “narcissism” as a colloquial term to describe selfishness, vanity, or difficult personalities, frequently overusing or misapplying it. While it is a clinical diagnosis (NPD), public discourse often incorrectly uses it for anyone displaying grandiosity, self-centeredness, or lack of empathy, thus trivializing the severety of this psychological disorder.

What are THE REAL DANGERS?

Overusing and Mislabeling: -Many people call others narcissists to describe anyone who is conceited, selfish, or ignores others’ concerns.

-It is used colloquially as a generic insult for someone who brags, hogs a conversations, or is vain.

Misconception of the term, “I-talk”: Contrary to popular belief, using the words “I” and “me” frequently is not strongly correlated with actual narcissism. It is a communications skill or strategy often used to take ownership/reponsibility for one’s own actions in a discussion.

-There’s also a Social Media Focus: Often applied to individuals who post many selfies or seem overly obsessed with their looks.

What are the Differences Between Lay and Clinical Understanding

Pathological vs. Personality Trait: While laypeople use it for annoying personality traits, Clinical Psychology defines Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) by intense grandiosity, a lack of empathy, and a strict need for admiration.

-Layperson diagnoses are often inaccurate due to a lack of professional training and the failure to distinguish between healthy confidence and pathological grandiosity.

-The can also trivialize the Condition: Overusing the term reduces the seriousness of the diagnosis for individuals with true NPD.

Let’s look at Improper Social Labeling: Labeling individuals, especially young people, based on temporary narcissistic traits (e.g., in adolescents) is seen by some as quite harmful.

Is Narcissism a symptom of Survival Mode?

Absolutely! Survival mode is a “me, myself and I” mode due to the goal when in that mode which is “to kill, or be killed”. It is a narcissistic trait because each of us have a built in survival mechnism in the sympathetic nervous system that only we can use,

Narcissistic traits can be a coping mechanism, used to mask vulnerabilities or maybe overcompensate in relationships

Fawn is not a diagnosis but I included it to illustrate how much influence popular culture has even on science.

4. FAWN

“Fawning” is a term increasingly used by laypeople to describe a specific trauma response characterized by people-pleasing, appeasement, and over-accommodation to avoid conflict or to ensure safety. Coined by psychotherapist Pete Walker as the fourth “F” of trauma (alongside Fight, Flight, and Freeze), it is commonly used in discussions about (Complex PTSD), childhood trauma, and abusive relationships. But we don’t need a 4th F

Are there REAL DANGERS with Fawn?:

According to Verywell Mind, “Using the term “fawning” as a trauma response is dangerous because it can be misinterpreted as voluntary, compliant, or manipulative behavior rather than a survival mechanism. It often leads to victim-blaming, severe mental health issues, chronic boundary violations, and a complete loss of self.”

What is Fawn in Survival mode?

There is no need to reinvent the sympathetic nervous system’s fight/flight/freeze responses or alarm which describes each individual’s response to fear. This response is hardwired in us to help protect us when we sense any danger—or under significant stress.

Laypeople’s understanding of a trauma response is simply describing Survival mode syndrome and how our childhood environment formulated our personalities. All these responses are not Fawn, they are survival or defense mechanisms, be it people pleasing, fear of conflict, perfectionism, people who can’t say “no”, etc.

Remember, Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used to protect the mind against anxiety, shame, or threats to self-esteem. They function by distorting reality to manage difficult emotions. While they provide temporary relief, over-reliance on them can hinder personal growth and affect relationships.

Defense mechanisms are also symptoms of Survival mode and the goal is always to get out of this mode.

If we must protect the most vulnerable seeking help,we must stop blurring the lines between legitimate clinical experience and the whims of popular culture.

Finally, there’s a paper that supports Survival Mode Syndrome and I will drop a link below, the title is: The Body Does Not Store tTauma; the brain dynamically reenacts it through maladaptive inference.

This paper describes the child’s pre-developed brain becoming frozen in a protective posture.