OCD, bipolar, schizophrenic and the misuse of mental health terms by Jon Kelly and Denise Winterman

Terms like "bipolar", "autistic" and "schizophrenic" are often used in jest to describe character traits. But how harmful is it to bandy the names of such conditions about?

It's a common form of hyperbole.

The neighbour who keeps his house tidy has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). A socially awkward colleague is autistic. The weather isn't just changeable, it's bipolar.