Emotionally unstable person (menhera)

Overview

Menhera is slang for someone in an emotionally unstable state, or someone dealing with mental health problems. It's a word that has been used on the mental health board of 2channel (now 5channel), a large Japanese anonymous message board. Since it carries a discriminatory nuance, you need to be careful how you use it.

Question boxes and the menhera label

Sometimes questions arrive in a question box that pour out serious worries or unstable emotions. Dismissing these as "menhera questions" is something to avoid. The sender may really be suffering. Instead of slapping a label on them and moving on, it's important to face what each question actually says.

The person answering may also feel their own mental health slipping. In some cases, they get worn down by running a question box and become emotionally unstable. Rather than mocking themselves with "I'm such a menhera," they can also reframe it as "I need a break right now."

Seeing it as a state, not a label

One problem with the word menhera is that it treats a temporary state as a fixed trait. Periods of emotional instability can come to anyone. That doesn't make someone a "menhera" kind of person. It's a temporary situation of "having a hard time right now."

It's best to hold back from calling anyone "menhera" in a question box. Don't label the sender in your answers either. Say "Sounds like you're going through a hard time right now" instead of "You sound kind of menhera." A single choice of words changes how the sender takes it.