dictionary.com

UPDATE: I am trying to send this email through dictionary.com's online system and I am getting an error message that states "Could not validate data. Please correct".  I am trying to figure out why I am getting this error before moving on to thesaurus.com.  I'll have to play with it some tomorrow, I don't have the energy tonight, I'm still not feeling so well.

I do not see an actual e-mail address as to where we can e-mail dictionary.com or thesaurus.com.  The only way I see to contact them is through the website.  It is the same website and method of contact for both dictionary.com and thesaurus.com, I am going to send to separate letters to them though, I hope you will too. The first letter I will post is for dictionary.com. I did need to change it slightly from what I posted last night because they have a character limit and I had gone over the character limit in my original letter.  The revision still gets the point across just as effectively.

This is the website you want to visit:

http://content.dictionary.com/about/contact

Then choose the drop down menu underneath the heading "general website".  Choose "information removal request" and then continue. Then you can enter the info and go.  Don't forget to read through an make any necessary adjustments before sending (i.e. changing it from an individual living with a mental illness to a family member, loved one, etc.).

As an individual living with a mental illness, fighting the stigma associated with mental illness and promoting public awareness around mental illness is of the utmost importance to me and my family. For too long, mental illness has been horribly misunderstood as the public image promotes mental illness in a fearful and dangerous light. Yet mental illness is a disease, like any other disease. Mental illness is treatable and there are many success stories of people surviving with mental illness and living healthy and fulfilling lives, like myself.

Having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Definitions such as yours of the term psychotic further the already detrimental stigma that individuals living with a mental illness face in their day to day lives. Terms such as “psychopathic”, “deranged”, “crazy” and “loony” are offensive in any discussion of mental illness and should not be accepted. The term psychotic is a clinical terminology and the definition should obtain no more than the clinical definition. Your definition goes far beyond the definition of psychotic and uses slang terminology to label the many individuals living with a mental illness. Such an approach would never be tolerated in a discussion about cancer, diabetes or any other medical illness and should not be tolerated in any discussion about mental illness.

People with mental illness and their families deserve to live in a society where they are respected and dignified, not in a society where they are feared, judged or misunderstood. I am asking that you revise your definition of psychotic to reflect the true definition of the word including removing all slang terminology from your definition, some of which I previously listed. This kind of language is entirely unacceptable and extremely hurtful to individuals living with a mental illness and their loved ones. I encourage you to take it upon yourself to remove this hateful language from your definition. Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing the changes on your website.