May 3, 2012

• Schizable(Semantics)

  Today’s Schizable entry has to do with semantics, specifically the difference between using the terms ‘Schizophrenic’ and ‘People with Schizophrenia’. I will be the first to acknowledge that the terms look very much the same, but there is a movement within communities of many diagnoses to use what is called Person First Language. I agree with this movement and here’s why.

  Medical Professionals, Nightly News Reporters and Professors of Abnormal Psychology all have used the term ‘Schizophrenic’ to identify someone with a disability on the Schizophrenia spectrum. I suppose when I think about it, it is just so much easier to remember someone by their diagnosis rather than anything else. This must have been the thinking of the very first person to ever use that term. “Dr. Hobart, Dan is ready to see you now.” “Who the hell is that?” “The Schizophrenic.” “Oh yes. Send him in.”

  So where did I learn about using person first language? Two places. The first was during the months after my initial diagnosis in group therapy. One of the girls in the group asked me if I referred to myself as Schizophrenic or as someone with Schizophrenia. I had no clue what the difference was so I answered the former. She just shook her head and a couple of people said to use person first language when referring to myself. They said that if I didn’t, then no one else would either. The second person I learned this from is my little brother who works in the Autism Community. He is part of the reason why I read the Autisable blog. He says to refer to those children as ‘Children with Special Needs’ or as ‘Children on the Autism Spectrum’. He’s a pretty cool kid for a 24 year old.

  I remember a Making A Difference report on the NBC Nightly News last year where one of the correspondents went to visit a factory that decided to begin hiring people with various disabilities. He said that the factory employs, “The Blind, The Deaf, Schizophrenics, among others….” Do you see the problem? He made his point by completely disregarding the individiual personalities of everyone in that room. So they happened to be blind. So they happened to be deaf. So they happened to have Schizophrenia. So what? They are people first. Their diagnosis should come second. Every single person in that factory has a story to tell and that report lumped them all together according to their disability.

  Something that I’ve always known since first learning and accepting the concept of person first language is that any attorney worth his or her salt would be able to rattle me by simply asking the question, “Isn’t it true you made this up? You are after all, a Schizophrenic.” Oh my God would that get under my skin. There aren’t many things I’d be willing to face contempt of court over, but fighting for the person first language with a defense attorney would be one of them. It may not be smart, but it would be the right thing to do.

  Now I am fully aware that I can’t be the Xanga policeman who goes around correcting every use of the word ‘Schizophrenic’. But I’m also not going to just let it slide when I see it. If and when I see it I’ll say something even if I get shouted down as has happened before and lost me two friends on here. I also call upon you either as a reader with any other kind of illness or especially if you are on the Schizophrenia spectrum, to stand up for your rights to be identified as a person first, and a diagnosis second. Now that you are aware, how will you react when it comes time to defend that right? Think about it.

  Shadowrunner81(Dan)

  If you would like to know more about my illness Here is the first Schizable blog post where I introduce you to it.

  If you would like to know more about me outside of my illness Here is my introductory post.

  • 8:30 pm
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