Time To End The Word Crazy?
The stigma of mental health is slowly decreasing in the United States, but many people still label schizophrenics as “crazy.” The problem with this negative connotation is that it trains people to ostracize schizophrenics, almost as if society is “too good for them.”
A schizophrenic person experiences either auditory and/or visual hallucinations, disorganized thinking and/or delusions. Their composure varies from almost indistinguishable from a person without the disorder to extreme agitation and disorganization; the latter is why people are tempted to throw the word “crazy” at them.
If we continue to use the world crazy to label schizophrenics, the stigma of mental health will persist. A better word to replace crazy with is “psychotic”; it is more formal and educational. Can you imagine being a schizophrenic patient and overhearing other people in society label you as crazy? Schizophrenics have souls too! They can understand and feel emotions, sometimes even better than people without the disorder.
Schizophrenics have families, desires, wishes and plans to improve and live a decent life again; especially those institutionalized in state facilities! Imagine living in a state facility, where every day, you walk the same corridor, eat the same meals and stare out the same windows to get a glimpse into society, all while experiencing internal stimuli?
The DSM Ready Movement is advocating for the elimination of the word crazy to be used towards mental health patients! We all have feelings, desires, dreams and goals! No one is crazy; we are just different. And different is what makes this world a beautiful place to grow and learn from.
Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)
DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully) 