Can I vent for just a few minutes?

[Nitram]

8. You make a very valid point about a tendency to belittle real mental health issues by carelessly

using terms such as OCD and PTSD for common everyday behavior. I think people who do that don't mean to trivialize the severity of real mental health issues. It is lazy, blithe use of psychological terms to exaggerate their own or other people's foibles. Much like the way terms like "retard" and "spaz" were thrown around in previous decades.

Your friend sounds like she is the kind of person who begins to notice symptoms in herself whenever she reads about a the symptoms of a condition or syndrome. There are an awful lot of phony quizzes on the web now, much like the kind you see in magazines, that have titles like "3 signs you might be a psychopath", or "Take this quiz to find out if someone in your life might be a narcissist."

Your advice to her that she should get a thorough examination and diagnosis from a reliable physician or psychologist is very good. Unfortunately, it will always be up to the individual herself whether she just keeps popping pills or summons the courage and takes the time to get a valid diagnosis. You can best help her by being supportive when she needs to communicate about her state of mind, but also by providing gentle and consistent nudges towards a healthier approach to dealing with her issues with a professional.