Recently someone I respect mentioned that she's tired of the word "consumer" to describe people who are mentally ill. She said she's no longer going to use it. I have always been leery of using the word because—outside of the limited world of mental health concerns—it simply doesn't have the same meaning.

I've spent years tripping over my own tongue because of phrases like the above—"people who are mentally ill"—which so many people find offensive. Other solutions offer tortured syntax, which is enough to make any prose stylist cringe.

Most of my time is spent with people who don't suffer with mental health issues. Therefore when I say "consumer" they have no idea what I'm talking about. Then I have to explain: "'Consumer' is the word used in the mental health world to describe people with mental illnesses."

Then the inevitable rejoinder: "Why?"

"Well, the word 'patient' is disempowering..." Blah blah blah. It's a dysfunctional linguistic strategy.

So what's the solution? Let's coin a new term right here, right now. Lines are open.