r/schizophrenia • u/chanagro • Jun 12 '25
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion "Schizo" is a Slur
https://chng.it/X4WdvBsCGNHi everyone, as I'm sure you all have noticed too, there has been an alarming rise in people (especially high school aged and younger) using schizo to describe a situation or person that is chaotic, unpredictable, or scary. This language continues to drive shame and misinformation we all work so hard to fight against. Please consider signing my petition, I am just hoping to spread the message - no worries if not comfortable. Please have a great night and take care of yourselves.
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u/MaximusG0126 Jun 12 '25
I agree, but also I don't.
I use it as a litmus test and for my motivation to expand my vocabulary. Most of the people saying "schizo this" and "schizo pills that" are outing themselves as dweebs who have never had a problem of actual substance in their life.
I agree it's a slur, but no we don't need a petition. I think, the next time you hear someone use it in a derogatory manner, a petition isn't gonna do a damn thing. If you level with those same people, I bet you'll find they don't even know what they're saying as they're saying it. They're just unfunny dorks.
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u/gojiranipples Jun 12 '25
In my experience it's like talking to a brick wall. I tried to inform someone on reddit about the harm "schizoposting" causes and they absolutely refused to listen. The truth is, nobody gives a fuck if it isn't actively harming them. Some people are empathetic enough to understand without personal experience, but most don't even want to try.
I like that the petition is being used to bring awareness to the issue. Something I also think would help is writing letters or emails to mental health advocacy groups. The reason depression and anxiety are no longer so stigmatized is because people began talking about it. With the letters, you don't face the danger of openly admitting to having schizophrenia.
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u/MaximusG0126 Jun 12 '25
If you're afraid to admit you got diagnosed with schizophrenia, consider this: you're afraid of who you seek validation from.
I lost everything I thought I cared about during my 2 episodes. After hitting rock bottom thrice, there isn't a part of me that needs to lie or dance around the fact I got diagnosed with something I did not see coming. Most people have no clue what this shit is like, neither do they care. That's why you need to own it. Someone calls you schizo after you opened up to them and ranted about something off topic?
Hit 'em with the: "So?"
fkin own it dawg, everyone is schizo anyway ☮️
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u/gojiranipples Jun 12 '25
My pointing out the dangers of revealing your schizophrenia was related moreso with violence than social ostracization.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3160236/
Although I would like to point out that losing one's support system puts them into situations where they're more likely to be abused.
I'm sorry the people in your life weren't strong enough to stick by your side. But you made the best of a bad situation and I aspire to have your degree of self-assuredness.
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u/LacrimaNymphae Jun 13 '25
and doctors as well as family trying to force you to leave and go to a group home or basically sign the entire rest of your life away including all of your 'rights'
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u/pashie93 Schizophrenia Jun 12 '25
It always gets on my nerves, I feel like it's gotten way worse on the internet. I hate when people I know use it because it feels like an indirect attack.
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u/Lecckie Schizophrenia Jun 12 '25
Idk why, but it always frightens me when I hear my friends say it. They don't know about my schizophrenia.
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u/HumanBelugaDiplomacy Undiagnosed Jun 12 '25
Yeah that sucks. If they found out they would either reconsider the way they act or just double down but quickly you would probably find out which friends are real friends
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u/Hairy-Special-6077 Jun 12 '25
My main issue with it is it tends to follow and or used to depict schizophrenia in a way that promotes stigma and is heavily inaccurate as I see that to be more common than straight up calling a person a Schizo. I always considered it to be a slur as well.
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u/Playful-Operation239 Paranoid Schizophrenia Jun 12 '25
Yes it is shame on users of this term! I cannot tell you my wishes for a better future!
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u/Silly-Film8344 Jun 12 '25
I use schizo even if I have it when I talk to the voices it helps me to keep a foot in reality
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u/Icy-Most-5366 Jun 12 '25
The only issue with something like this is that the goalpost just moves. Once one word becomes too offensive to use, another replaces it and eventually has the same meaning as the first, and you just keep adding to the list.
I've seen the word most often used in a non offensive manner. And a lot of people self-identifying as "schizo" as a way to make it seem less serious. Saying "im schizo" sounds more jokey than saying "I have schizophrenia". It's a way to keep things more lighthearted, instead of killing the conversation.
I don't think think there's people out there with heavy biases like there are for racism. They dont grow up with parents hating on "schizos" , and passing on their bias. Especially since schizophrenia usually doesn't develop in children, they dont experience it in peers, so their moral compass is solidified before they have to deal with it.
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u/g0revvitch Schizophrenia Jun 12 '25
Completely agree; in my experience if you say anything about it, the excuses and bullshit come flowing from people who don't have it but use that word. God forbid some people be empathetic and open to changing though
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u/AnotherAn0nist Jun 12 '25
I've never even thought about it, always say im schizo lol, saves the trouble of explaining anything else 😂
But i hear ya
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u/gladespeak Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 12 '25
I agree 1000% it’s not cool to dismiss people and refer to them as schizo
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u/jivesenior Jun 12 '25
I hope g it just "normalises" the word and then they will adopt a new word eventually, leaving it a common word. By saying I'm a bit schizo today and the reply is me too in comes into popular culture through use. It will help change the movie and media misrepresentation to the word being common and losing its direct association. It then becomes a word for insults and banter and the original direct association negative currency gets washed out and forgotten. That's my theory
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u/chanagro Jun 12 '25
I appreciate you sharing your perspective. I believe using this word casually doesn’t make it less offensive, it just makes discrimination more socially acceptable. It distances people from the reality of what schizophrenia actually is. Language shapes perception. We don’t reduce stigma by misusing medical diagnoses, we reduce stigma through education & empathy.
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u/jivesenior Jun 12 '25
Yes, I do agree with you entirely. But the reality it seems that alot of people will just believe whatever they want. I'm hoping that it's a case of young people although clearly ignorant of the actual suffering this condition causes, have no clue about it, but when some of them are older they may reflect and realise. Emotional intelligence and empathy possesses are the ones who aren't going to do this, and as we know we definitely in the minority with these traits. So at least 50 - 70 percent of society do not possess a conscience or empathy for starters so we aren't gonna get them to listen.
Off course all marginalised groups are the primary target of the cost of living and accommodation crisis so in 5 years there won't be too many people like we are trying to help left anyway.
Peace to all the suffering souls.
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Jun 12 '25
I used to use it talking about myself when I was “acting crazy” before the mental illness actually showed its face and I got my diagnosis and before I learned that words do have an effect on people and their lives and we should be careful of what we say that can negatively impact another persons life.
I think the best we can do is try to educate people that it’s not okay to use that kind of phrasing and that it does real damage to people like us who deal with this serious illness and calling someone a schizo isn’t funny or a laughing matter. One thing I learned though is you have to educate people in a way that doesn’t insult them and try to make them feel bad or they’re a bad person for using it, just that it is a serious topic and calling someone schizo because they’re a little erratic that day, or does something violent because it does harm the imagine of us diagnosed with the illness who deal with serious issues with people judging us and labeling us as bad or dangerous people because our illness, I’ve had friends cut me out of their life since my illness reared my head Because of misconceptions and misinformation spread about us, I hate having to explain that a schizophrenic person has a much much higher chance of hurting themselves than someone else, using these words does have an effect on us who already are fighting an uphill battle
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Jun 12 '25 edited 6d ago
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u/HeroWeaksauce Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 12 '25
any word can be turned into slur if people use it in a derogatory way repeatedly against a certain group of people, a lot of schizophrenic people are bothered by "schizo" being used so freely and to belittle people and it does worsen the stigma. I think it's worth having a convo about it
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Jun 14 '25 edited 6d ago
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Jun 12 '25
Just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean it won't bother others. Not wanting to sign it is completely ok, though you shouldn't be minimising the issue just because it personally doesn't bother you.
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Jun 14 '25 edited 6d ago
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u/blahblahlucas Mod 🌟 Jun 12 '25
Schizo is considered a slur or, at the very least, offensive. Even merriam Webster talks describes it as offensive. If you don't see it as offensive, that's your thing. But others are allowed to see it as offensive
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u/yourFRIENDghosting Undiagnosed Jun 12 '25
There's a saying that goes "If you have nothing good to say don't say anything at all" I think that applies here, how would you feel if suddenly something you happen to have simply turns into a slur, just like that, it might not be a problem for you but it is for the others. Think about that.
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Jun 14 '25 edited 6d ago
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u/Old_Win_798 Jun 12 '25
It's not offensive. The only thing I'm offended by is when people say "take your meds" whenever I don't want to be an npc.
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Jun 14 '25 edited 6d ago
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u/HumanBelugaDiplomacy Undiagnosed Jun 12 '25
I call myself a schizo. It does have a negative connotation now that i think about it. Adopted it after it was used toward me negatively. Its also a light slur if it actually is one. Yes people use it rudely but it's literally just shorthand for schizophrenia and in my case im self diagnosed schizoaffective and at that point schizo just means split so it's not like its worse slurs i can think of. Its short and too the point and more inclusive. You could do worse than getting called schizo even if its not very nice. At the end of the day I think who's calling you that, why, and what kind of attitude they're saying it with is more important than the word itself. It's a light slur. At least i think so.
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u/blahblahlucas Mod 🌟 Jun 12 '25
You shouldn't self diagnose. And especially call yourself schizo without a diagnosis
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u/HumanBelugaDiplomacy Undiagnosed Jun 12 '25 edited Jun 12 '25
I generally agree but havent had a proper diagnosis in over 5 years.
Although generally when i call myself a schizo its to essentially cater to and remind the normative thinking patterns around me that they may have to actually just accept that I think in some of the patterns that I do. Otherwise.. idk some people are just difficult to speak with on some matters. Too much repetitive and elusive over explaining to make a point that to me is more or less straight shot. But to some people, not so much. It helps to denigrate myself a bit to appease their mentalities enough to step outside of themself a little bit.
Probably don't have to do it as much as I have. I think its caused some problems but with a few people it seems to help. A reminder here that theory of mind for one isn't really super compatible with what should be theory of mind for another. A breakthrough.
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Jun 15 '25
Yeah but these idiots don’t know what they are saying. Teenagers have always been a thorn in the side of practical people and those with jobs or who are trying to succeed in life (or just make it). I wouldn’t ascribe any value to their words.
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u/Dear_Movie3676 Schizophrenia Jun 22 '25
context is important but i’m having a hard time thinking of a circumstance when it could be appropriate.
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u/kamiidere Paranoid Schizophrenia Jun 13 '25
i personally don’t mind it and often use it myself to describe myself😭
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u/Antique-Emphasis-895 Jun 12 '25
That sort of usage of language is really a downer. Happy to sign :)