Stigmatizing Labels - How Do They Affect You?

[Claire]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you wished people were more educated about mental health problems. Jo public just isn't. I take the view that most people dont know what they're talking about so I no, I dont get offended by any labels. As for me personally, my friends call me 'special'. Its a running joke referring to 'special needs' which as a phrase is pretty much spot on. Also adds humour into the situation which is always a good thing.

 

[TDurden1937]

See I'm not putting any one's opinion down here okay. No one.

I'm just sayin' 1) there are multiple ways the term "crazy" is used from sayin' to a friend, "Aw don't act so crazy." to calling the fella walking around in the park talking to him/herself crazy. 2) in my opinion the DSM is a pile of useless crap. No doctor ever developed a treatment plan using the dsm. It's used mainly to fill out forms for insurance companies, hospitals, etc. When I rx'ed meds I did it by symptom, not diagnosis. 3) getting a diagnosis in itself can be extremely stigmatizing. Get a label of Bipolar Mood Disorder well controlled with say Li, and put that on a job app. and see what happens as apposed to a type I diabetic who controls the diabetes with oral meds, food and exercise. You can kiss your career goodbye.

 

[upstream]

Yes, I see the point about crazy. Context matters. I find it sweet when used in a romantic context, "I'm crazy for that girl," however if you expand that context further in some situations it sounds obsessive or tragic rather than romantic. Most of the time I hear crazy I don't like the way it's being used.

TDurden, I agree with what your saying about the DSM in the medical and business world. However in my life it has had its uses. The DSM helped me to understand personality disorders and better protect myself, as well as recognize the traits like lack of empathy and superficial affect. It helped me develop better judgment.

 

[anthony]

Good points upstream... well said. Knew this thread was going to show some good things. Amazes me every time when you write something then sit back and watch how everyone else views the topic then responds.... some excellent points raised that I certainly never thought about at the beginning of this. Again, great thread upstream.

 

[upstream]

Thanks Anthony, I'm flattered. I just enjoy discussing the issues and soaking up everyone's experiences.

...no pun or stigmatizing label intended by the use of the word 'issues'

 

[Deleted member 487]

One of my nicks is Crazy Carl. Not because of my illness, but because I used to live dangerously. I did things no one else would do. Maybe safety (though rare), maybe too daring, or just too bizarre. Like when I was in college and I rode my motorbike down main street....wearing nothing but my eye glasses, tennis shoes, undershorts and a halloween mask. Everyone in school knew who was doing it. And it was +20*F at the time. Crazy stuff like that. All the guys were patting me on the back and I kept finding notes with girl's names and room numbers....and here I am, too moral to get a piece outside of marriage. (sigh)

Like when I used to work with the retarded, I found *I* was labeled as retarded by a number of people in the business community.

I think I'll start another thread based on my response to this.

 

[anthony]

in my opinion the DSM is a pile of useless crap. No doctor ever developed a treatment plan using the dsm. It's used mainly to fill out forms for insurance companies, hospitals, etc. When I rx'ed meds I did it by symptom, not diagnosis.

I think your opinion is very wrong then Doug (valid as an opinion, but wrong)... because what you're stating is not what the DSM is even remotely about. The DSM is to help standardize physicians across the board to agreed diagnostic criteria to help aid correct diagnosis. That doesn't mean a physician will get it right, but I guarantee since its inception that those getting it right has increased significantly than without such a standardization mechanism. I think maybe you need to rethink your place on such a valuable tool that is utilised globally.

 

[Grama-Herc]

OK People, Let's get this into prespective. It is a just word with a thousand and one meanings.

This society has gone to the "other side" with being PC(politically correct) I am so over the entire concept.

When I was diagnosed and sent away for treatment, one of the therapist spent an entire session on how we would handle our absence from our life. What we would tell people, if we told them anything. We could chose many answers but her advise was Do Not Lie! You will eventually get caught and then be embarrassed.

I do not go around telling people I have a mental disorder. But, when a friend( I actually have one) and I are joking and discussing--ah--maybe something goofy I've done, I will respond with something like---Hey, I'm allowed. I'm crazy and I got the papers to prove it.

Please understand, I am not ashamed of my conditions. It is an illness. I have a chemical imbalance in my brain. It is genetic.

Our society just needs to ease up and not be so damn sensitive and PC.

So there it is. Grama-Herc's personal opinion on being "crazy" Cuz I am and proud of it. See, that explains why I have done some of the things I've done that folks just did not understand. Damn people, it is just a word with a thousand and one meanings.

 

[upstream]

The DSM is to help standardize physicians across the board to agreed diagnostic criteria to help aid correct diagnosis. That doesn't mean a physician will get it right, but I guarantee since its inception that those getting it right has increased significantly than without such a standardization mechanism.

I'm informed that when Vietnam Vets started coming home, a large number of them were diagnosed as bipolar. Not surprisingly it turned out to be misdiagnosed PTSD.

Mentally retarded adults are often misdiagnosed as bipolar, because their limitations and struggles can cause their lives to be emotional roller coasters.

I was given a list of symptoms from my Aunt. I responded that those symptoms were textbook anti-social personality disorder. Then she mentioned he was a minority in a gang and described the context surrounding those symptoms. So turned out he doesn't necessarily have the disorder, he's just adapting to his environment in an effort to survive.

My point is the DSM is an excellent educational tool, but in many cases it is nothing more than statistical analysis and probability. Unless you have something cut and dry like the person hears voices and believes they are god (schizophrenia)... I would have to agree with TDurden. It is more important to look at the symptoms than to try to categorize a person into this or that.

Can we move the DSM conversation into a new thread?

 

[anthony]

DSM topic has been copied to a new thread called [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread6933.html[/DLMURL].

 

[upstream]

Here's a tidbit I never shared about my meds, but worth mentioning-
When I was on those meds, paxil, depakote & risperidal, I was borderline on spending money on a sex change. I was so intent on this. I honestly felt I was a woman inside. I was not suicidal as in trying to kill myself, but I had a lot of suicidal thoughts. I had the stuff there that I could have done it without a problem and succeed. But I didn't. I had a great deal of difficulty with my temper. Because as I found out, I was on the wrong meds and the doctors wouldn't believe me.

I know suicide ideation has been identified as a side effect of SRI's in children, however I have never heard of... would you call it 'gender ideation'? ...as a side effect of medication. That's a new one, sounds like it could be more dangerous than suicide ideation :eek:

 

[nic]

I have felt the stigma of mental illness quite a bit. In fact, not that I'm in denial or anything, but I VERY rarely use the term "mental illness" when discussing PTSD...I typically just say that I have "anxiety." (Since so many people suffer from anxiety, there seems to be less of a stigma.)

For example, a few years ago I had to go into the hospital (for just a day) because of panic attacks. When I called my boss to let him know that I wouldn't be in, I told him that I was having panic, but I would NEVER tell him about the PTSD. I think, for me, it has to do with the reason for the PTSD: rape. (Oh, and saying THAT word aloud took YEARS!!) When the average person thinks of a PTSD sufferer, they think of two things: combat vets and rape victims. Since I am not a vet, I fear that people will automatically assume the second possibility. Even though it is true, it places an even greater stigma on me.

...Now you have me really thinking...I even feel the stigma in the doctor's office. For example, I hate listing all the medications I take, especially if they are strong medications such as Risperdol or something. The other day I was waiting outside the door of the doctor I am currently seeing for PTSD, and random doctors/researchers/etc. were passing by. I felt soooo self-consious because this doctor I'm seeing is the hospital's PTSD doc/researcher, and I hated (even strangers) knowing that I have PTSD.

I don't really know what will erase the stigma of rape, mental illness, or PTSD. Sure, education sounds like a good answer, but I'm not so sure. As a high school teacher, we have to do a brief unit on suicide prevention each year. We show these lame videos and pass out cards for students to fill out if they or someone they know is thinking about hurting themselves. Well, each year the kids laugh at the videos and make paper airplanes out of the cards. And, just like the many homophobic comments/slurs I hear in the hallway, the kids start calling each other "scitzo" as a joke.

Sorry this was so long, but this was an interesting question.

Nic