The Case For Dropping The Word 'Mental' From 'Mental Health'

There are many polarizing words that are used when it comes to describing mental health: "Crazy," "insane," "nutcase." All of them are wrong and perpetuate a stigma. So Eric Norwine, a mental health advocate and producer of the film "Walking Man," is offering a different, more holistic solution -- and frankly, one that makes sense.

Norwine told HuffPost Live host Nancy Redd that one way we can eliminate the stereotype is to stop singling out mental health as its own category and consider it a part of our overall health.

"I think that ... the brain is the most complicated organ in the body and it's the one we forgive the least when it breaks," he said. "That makes no sense. You would never tell someone with a broken leg to run."

Mental illnesses aren't the only health issues that have been stigmatized. Cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases have also been subject to judgment in the past, Norwine explained, which is mostly due to a lack of knowledge.

"A lot of the times that a stigma exists or there's some sort of prejudice in any way, shape or form, it's most often because we don't have an understanding of that thing or that person," he said.

Watch the full HuffPost Live clip above to hear more from the conversation.