The way people use the word "mental"

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It sort of bothers me when someone says that someone else is "mental." I don't know if I'm taking it too literally, but to me anyone who uses their brain is "mental." They mentally solve math problems, or they mentally come up with clever pick up lines, and they even mentally analyze a person's "strange" behavior and call this person "mental." It doesn't necessarily offend me, but every time I hear someone say something like this, I have the strong urge to say something. In fact, I think the only thing that stops me from saying anything is my selective muteness and shyness.

The word "mental" isn't used as a synonym for "crazy" in the United States. If it wasn't for the Harry Potter movies, most people here probably wouldn't know that it's used that way in the United Kingdom. The use of the term in this way probably originated from the phrase "mental hospital". It's kind of strange to me that it's used in a way that wasn't intended by it's original definition, but it doesn't bother me, especially since people don't use the term in that way here. I also think it's kind of strange that we still use the term "dialing" to refer to calling someone on the phone when phones don't have dials on them anymore. "Rewind" is another strange one because because DVDs don't have any magnetic tape in them to be winded or rewinded. The English language isn't perfect and there are a lot of strange cases like this.

Isn't "mental" short for "mentally deranged", or some similar phrase?

It is a common enough term in Australia.

I call myself 'mental' to indicate a bit f****d in the head because that is how I feel. Don't know where I first heard it but its a common term with me. Though I realize it doesn't exactly make sense I don't mean it offensively though because I don't look down on people for mental issues otherwise I'd be kind of a hypocrite I imagine. But I have used the term in that manner.