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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by DanielJ on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:47
Now Manic Depression is called bipolar, so can we please(Medical Community) think of a name that is not so stigmatized. The news media seems to delight in using "Schizophrenia" for a catchall word for Criminally insane. Well they are all wrong. There are thousands of people with schizophrenia (including my son) who are leading fruitful productive and near normal lives.
Please, can we think of another name for it. 1% of the population of the world will have it at some time in their lives. That's a lot of folks being ostracized. Proper treament minimizes the effects of this illness, now the medical community needs to work on getting rid of the bad name
Posted by xbunny on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:47
In reply to Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 11:40:56
> Now Manic Depression is called bipolar, so can we please(Medical Community) think of a name that is not so stigmatized.
I think you have got it back to front, schizophrenia is a fine name, its peoples attitudes that need changing. If we renamed schizophrenia to happyfluffypuppy syndrome then pretty soon the narrow minded would start using that to describe axe wielding psychos instead. Nothing would be gained, the ignorant wouldnt be any less so and there might be increased stigma for actually fluffy puppies :-)
Buns
Posted by DanielJ on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 11:40:56
Schizophrenia means split personality to most laymen and does not correctly describe what this illness is. In addition there are too many subtypes which could easily fall into the catagories of separate illnesses. Disorganized,Catatonic,Paranoid and my sons type which is Undifferentiated Schizophrenia which is a confused description to say the least.
When an employer looks at a job application where illnesses listed are schizophrenia etc. what chance does that human being have of getting the job against another?
Posted by xbunny on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 12:13:45
> Schizophrenia means split personality to most laymen and does not correctly describe what this illness is.
Because a layman misunderstands a technical term are we to abandon it? Lets not call a transistor a transistor how about a switch-a-ma-bob. I reiterate what I just said, if we were to rename schizophrenia then the ignorant would just substitute the new term for the old. No destigmatization would have occured. Noone would get any better.
>In addition there are too many subtypes which could easily fall into the catagories of separate illnesses. Disorganized,Catatonic,Paranoid and my sons type which is Undifferentiated Schizophrenia which is a confused description to say the least.
confusing to whom? to a doctor, which is really who the term is designed for, its makes good sense and communicates the ailment reasonably well. Anyone who is interested can look the terms up and learn the correct meaning, I dont see the problem.
> When an employer looks at a job application where illnesses listed are schizophrenia etc. what chance does that human being have of getting the job against another?
Supposably the person is protected from discrimination by the law. In my recent job search I was very surprised by all the additional help available to me. Getting back to the original point, would renaming schizophrenia make an ignorant employer less so? I dont see how. S/He would ask what it is, learn that it was schizophrenia renamed, and carry on as before.
Buns
Posted by Maxime on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 12:13:45
> When an employer looks at a job application where illnesses listed are schizophrenia etc. what chance does that human being have of getting the job against another?One could say the same about bipolar illness, depression, etc.
And personally I don't see any problem with the term manic depression.
Maxime
Maxime
Posted by Maxime on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 11:40:56
I don't see it as bad. What would suggest calling it?
Maxime
> Now Manic Depression is called bipolar, so can we please(Medical Community) think of a name that is not so stigmatized. The news media seems to delight in using "Schizophrenia" for a catchall word for Criminally insane. Well they are all wrong. There are thousands of people with schizophrenia (including my son) who are leading fruitful productive and near normal lives.
> Please, can we think of another name for it. 1% of the population of the world will have it at some time in their lives. That's a lot of folks being ostracized. Proper treament minimizes the effects of this illness, now the medical community needs to work on getting rid of the bad name
Posted by Phillipa on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please! » DanielJ, posted by Maxime on May 19, 2005, at 13:33:36
Unfortunately it does connotate to an employer a very unstable person who is not to be trusted. When I worked as a Director of Nursing at a nursing home. When I called to check on a newly hired nursing assistant in another state they said "Under the table she is Schizophrenic". Now if there was a way to show it is being controlled. I would guess the person's interview would reveal any type of uncontrolled symptoms. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by DanielJ on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please! » DanielJ, posted by Maxime on May 19, 2005, at 13:33:36
When you have the news media saying this shizophrenic woman drowned her small children and this paranoid schizophrenic took pot shots at motorists and killed one of them (2 recent stories) people remember the negative feelings that this label carries and ignore the fact that the huge percentage of them are not dangerous criminals.
Posted by Phillipa on May 20, 2005, at 9:51:48
In reply to Re: Rename Schizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 20:48:43
I agree with you. Most of the schizophrenics I know are just "funny" when they are off their meds. Not dangerous. Or they exhibit a lot of religious ideation. I had a favorite who would come into the hospital when his meds weren't working or had stopped them and would say "it's spiritual warfare". He was so sweet and cute. And Billy the boy who dumped all the garbage on the table to feed the horses. He went on Clozaril and was fine. His Mom was also schizophrenic and you never would have known. Her meds controlled her illness completely. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Toph on May 20, 2005, at 17:20:48
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please! No!, posted by xbunny on May 19, 2005, at 12:00:22
I still think of myself as manic depressive. Then they go and change my diagnosis, but I didn't feel any better. Bipolar? It sounds like a well travelled penguin.
Toph, manic depressive ax grinder
Posted by alexandra_k on May 20, 2005, at 18:14:34
In reply to Rename Scizophrenia Please!, posted by DanielJ on May 19, 2005, at 11:40:56
Yeah. Schizophrenia is a tricky one. It is a bit of a catch-all. Better to think of 'the schizophrenias' - because there are a lot of different types.
It doesn't help that it has become known as a 'split personality'. The notion is that there is a split between thoughts / feelings / behaviours - but in the popular conception people tend to think something along the lines of DID (formerly multiple personality disorder).
But what to call it??????
That is a hard one....
I have to say that I'm not keen on the word 'schizophrenics' or even 'bi-polars'. They are people who are not to be defined by their illness. Rather they are a person with schizophrenia, bi-polar etc.
The word 'psychotic' is another one that could probably usefully be changed.
But it is true that it isn't enough to change the world. What is needed is a change in the publics conception.
Otherwise you get an endless run of euphemisms... And ruin a lot of words that were intended to be neutral...
Posted by Shortelise on May 21, 2005, at 0:07:14
In reply to Re: Rename Scizophrenia Please! No!, posted by xbunny on May 19, 2005, at 12:00:22
that would be a GREAT name! For anything!
Could we please invent an illness to go with this name so I can contract it? I think it would be very cheerful to have happyfluffypuppy syndrome. It would surely make anyone I told laugh.
:-)I know, this is a serious thread on a serious subject, but this just made me smile.
ShortE
Posted by sunny10 on May 23, 2005, at 10:58:25
In reply to happyfluffypuppy sundrome. » xbunny, posted by Shortelise on May 21, 2005, at 0:07:14
I think it might be what you have AFTER a lobotomy....That's why I want one!!!
Can you imagine? Not having to get stuck in endless ruminations and catastrophizing sounds like heaven to me...
And, of course, the "being the one taken care of" instead of doing all the caring has it's pluses, too!!!
This is the end of the thread.
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