Last Post (OT: "Schizophrenic" )

[Scott Kane]

From: "Marian Petrides" <mpetrides at earthlink.net>

> Ummm... there's the literal definition of schizophrenic (see #1  below) 
> and then there is the broader use of the term (see #2).

"Ummm" nothing.  The dictionary merely contributes to the abuse of the word. 
Imagine if you suffered from a disease that ruined your life and had a 
suicide mortality rate (in some countries) near 50% (give or take which 
study you read).  How would you feel when the your diagnosis is used for 
argumentative terms that misuse the term and contribute to a clinical 
xenophobia?  People don't care about this stuff until it happens to *them* 
or a loved one.

> Now can we change the topic.  Please.

Well - he should have been more careful in how he abused his vocab and no I 
will not let it just drop because until people *get it* (as a society) 
people suffering from this disease (and others like it) will continue to be 
treated as "retarded" (when their IQ is generally higher than "normal 
people") and discriminated against in all aspects of their life to the 
extent where wonderful treatments like "ECT" can be exorcised by any quack 
who desires to do so and their "rights" under common law are removed without 
basis of need - just because people are ignorant and scared within that 
ignorance and turn a blind eye.

The English language is rich - we don't use racist terms generally in 
environments like this (which can also be referenced as "legitimate" 
depending on the dictionairy definition one chooses to use) so why do it to 
any other marginalized community?

Scott Kane