Care in the words we choose
Writing with people in mind.
These guidelines set boundaries for articles, media descriptions, titles, and illustrations.
Write for a person, not a diagnosis
Use plain language and explain unfamiliar terms. Do not diagnose readers, label a person by a condition, or imply that one article explains their experience. Avoid blaming language and assumptions about someone's background, family, faith, gender, or access to care.
Discuss distress without harmful detail
Do not include methods, instructions, comparisons, graphic descriptions, or details that could enable self-harm or suicide. Do not romanticize or sensationalize suicide, self-harm, abuse, or trauma. Avoid images and headlines that turn distress into spectacle.
Use measured language. Avoid presenting a death or an act of self-harm as inevitable, a solution, a single-cause event, or an outcome that gives someone status or attention. Focus on support, the person's wider life, and the possibility of getting help without promising recovery on a schedule.
Give readers a choice and a route to support
Mark sensitive articles in the content data. Show a short support notice and a direct link to Get Help. Keep page titles neutral. Do not autoplay media, play sound on load, show pop-ups, or use alarming animation. Readers should be able to leave or skip a topic without pressure.
Keep claims within the evidence
Never invent studies, statistics, qualifications, professional review, or personal stories. Link to sources that support factual claims, describe uncertainty, and separate general information from individual advice. Do not promote unproven treatments, supplements, or “cures.”
Keep commercial interests clear
Disclose any permitted affiliate link or sponsorship. Do not place ads or affiliate recommendations on Get Help or articles marked sensitive. Commercial partners must not shape health claims or be presented as independent clinical evidence.
Review before publishing
A human editor needs to check wording, references, sensitive material, and context before a sample becomes a published article. Record only reviews that actually happened. The site owner still needs to confirm the real editorial workflow and correction contact.
Read the editorial policy for the current process and its limitations. The medical disclaimer explains what educational reading can and cannot offer.