Biological sciences now describe traditionally humanistic concerns, resulting in a conflict between how we understand the 'biological' and the 'personal.' This paper begins by examining contemporary public documents' description of 'disorders.' Within them, scientific descriptions supplant personal descriptions. 'Biological speaking' holds negative connotations because of cultural valuations of the body and matter and the grammatical structures of 'scientific' speech. Interviewing psychiatric patients demonstrates how 'biological' terms render their experiences impersonal and less 'meaningful.'