I have read so many amazing books on here, and I feel it is important to highlight that mental illnesses are not adjectives, they are not to be used light heartedly. Mental illnesses can be and are fatal, they're not to be made jokes of - it diminishes and mocks people's struggles - and when they're facing death, it is abhorrent to see mental illness as any less than a serious medical illness. Would you make light of someone having cancer? If a character in your book is moody one minute and pleasant the next - they're not 'being bipolar' - having light mood swings is not having bipolar - come on, you're talented people, there are much better words and phrases to use! - hence there is no excuse. Just because someone else used the phrase, or it used to be popular to say, does not give the excuse to use it nowadays. Think of vile terms that used to be used - you wouldn't use them now, because they're horrid and incredibly hurtful and offensive - it is the same. Educate yourselves please - if you are lucky enough to not be personally affected by mental illness, then I am so happy for you, because believe me, you don't want it. It is not trendy, it is not pretty and it is not something to make light of. Ever. Thank you for coming to my TED talk!!
In summary - mental illness is not an adjective, it is unacceptable to use the terms for any less than for highlighting such severe and life threatening illnesses. If you wouldn't mock cancer, don't mock mental illness.
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