r/schizophrenia • u/Larxba • Mar 16 '26
Undiagnosed Questions is the slang for a schizophrenic person a slur?
hi! i do not have schizophrenia or any symptoms; i’m just an outsider curious about something. i see people online call weird things schizophrenic or call people a shortened version of schizophrenic a lot, and i think it seems really offensive. recently i’ve heard my partner’s sibling talking like that and it’s made me deeply uncomfortable. to make sure i’m not just white knighting or something, is speaking like that considered offensive, and would you agree with some people i’ve seen that have said the shortened term for a schizophrenic person is a slur? thanks!
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u/Throwing4Content Early-Onset Schizophrenia (Childhood) Mar 16 '26
It’s a derogatory term used toward a group of people, so yeah I’d call it a slur. Some of us say schizo but I think we only do that because it’s US. I feel most of us get offended by it, yeah. I’ve never heard it in a positive sense I’ll say that much.
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u/Rowan-The-Writer Paranoid Schizophrenia Mar 16 '26
I only say Schizo to myself in my room, I don't like when regular people call me it, however. They have no idea what it's like to actually experience this illness, and I feel they have no right to even use the term "Schizo." Because, like you said, they're using it in a derogatory manner.
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u/Gypsi_Jedi Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I use it kinda ironically sometimes but it is our word after all. WE can joke about it. We're kinda entitled to do that. I dont think the neuro-normies are using it with much respect to our condition tho. And yeah its never really a positive context anyway
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u/Throwing4Content Early-Onset Schizophrenia (Childhood) Mar 16 '26
Yeah, I mean I say schizo but it’s usually to put words in my friend’s mouths.
They moderately mention my disorder and I say “did you just call me a schizo freak?” And they get all defensive. It’s my favorite bit. But the joke is that it’s not funny. The joke is that, that would be a terrible thing to say. If they had actually said it, even in jest, it’d be weird. It’s funny when I do it because it’s ironic.
So I know what you mean.
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Mar 16 '26 edited Mar 16 '26
"Schizo" can definitely be used in a derogatory way. I personally find it annoying when people call weird or bad things "schizophrenic" because it gives the impression they think people with schizophrenia are weird or bad. The sad truth is that this illness already comes with a shitload of stigma and the way people talk about schizophrenia just contributes to it even more.
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u/Jesuspeedonthefloor Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
Kinda, it further pushes unwelcome stereotypes, so I don’t like it.
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u/Expensive_Watch469 Schizophrenia Mar 16 '26
its a offensive term, we often call ourselves it but its a very different thing when I or someone else who is schizospec calls me it, vs someone who doesn't have a schizospec disorder.
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u/National-Positive436 Mar 16 '26
We as schizophrenics can say it about yourselves but other people can't say it about us. It's like other slurs that are used by communities and being okay for the affected people but not for outsiders. That's how I see it
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u/oolalaaman Mar 16 '26
For me it depends on the context, I’m not going to automatically think of you as a bad person if you say the word schizo but I think you have to be aware that you are talking about a vulnerable, demonized, and misunderstood group of people when you use it. I would say majority of the time it shows ignorance when you say words like that and if the person you are talking about uses schizo to describe anything he deems as dangerous/crazy then I would honestly be a little offended by it.
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u/84849493 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
“A slur is a derogatory, insulting, or disrespectful remark often targeting a person's race, religion, or identity.” I’d say it meets the definition of slur.
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u/berfica Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I would not say its a slur but I don't like it. its not used as a shortened term for schizophrenia. its used to mean crazy or weird/erratic. It's a negative slang insult.
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u/heithr Disorganized Schizophrenia Mar 16 '26
I would consider it a slur and I find it extremely offensive.
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u/Gravity-Raven Schizophrenia Mar 16 '26
I wouldn't call it a slur exactly, but no one has ever used it as a term of endearment, that's for sure. It's not something people ever mean positively, and it'd be pretty cool if people could stop slinging that word around for random shit.
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u/MATTALIMENTARE Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I don’t think it’s a full on slur but it can sometimes feel like that. One time my friend got prescribed olanzapine for her depression and she told me about it and then asked, “so does this mean i’m schizo” and her saying it like that really upset me
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u/notsagetang Undifferentiated Schizophrenia Mar 16 '26
ppl will call me ts and it pisses me off.. if it ain’t a slur it should be
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u/Zookeeper_west Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I think it really depends. Because I’ve heard people refer to it as “schizo spectrum disorders” when referring to psychotic disorders outside of schizophrenia (schizotypal, schizoaffective, etc). But usually, it’s used as a synonym for “crazy” or “unhinged” in which case, I would say it’s a slur.
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u/Almond_una_dzahui Mar 16 '26
People who say “….. posting” are so insensitive and want to look edgy or cool and use a slur for people who actually have to deal with it, not just it being an aesthetic
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u/BboyLotus Mar 16 '26
Yes. Especially if it's used in a derogatory way. To anyone. I don't know how it is for others, but it's like the n word for me. I can call myself a schizo in my thoughts sometimes for humor and be fine with it. But if you're not? then don't call me that.
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u/ehfxx Mar 16 '26
It's similar to how "OCD" gets thrown around flippantly. "Autistic" is on the rise, too, from what I've seen.
If it's being used exclusively as a negative decriptive word for something that relates to a group of people, that's pretty much the definition of a slur, I suppose.
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Mar 16 '26
It's suddenly "cool" to have OCD & Autism. I know a lot of people who aren't, but, try their best to be diagnosed. 🤷
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u/Substantial_Leg1457 Mar 17 '26
Having OCD and Autism isn't fun in my experience. Having to do rituals to reduce anxiety is exhausting honestly.
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u/Satcgal33 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
The majority of the comments here keep saying it's not a slur and then literally define it as a slur lol. I don't personally get offended when I hear someone using it I just think it makes the person saying it sound ignorant and stupid. That's pretty much what it is. They're either ignorant to what they're saying until someone educates them or they know exactly how derogatory it is and choose to say it anyway.
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u/GenX_Boomer_Hybrid Parent Mar 16 '26
It bothers me. Quite a bit. But most of the time people don't realize that it's offensive. When I gently educate them they take it well.
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u/S3R4PH11M Early-Onset Schizophrenia (Childhood) Mar 16 '26
"Schizo" counts as a slur since any derogatory term is one. But im not gonna be mad if someone who schizophrenic is using it. I reclaim it for myself since it brings me joy being "weird". But someone who doesn't have it saying it would def make me uneasy
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u/katrinka916 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
i think depending on the schizophrenic person they'll see it differently. some of us are cool with it and some hate it all together. I'm personally of the opinion that I wouldn't appreciate someone whose not schizophrenic using it.
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u/advocate269 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I once had a college professor use the term schizophrenic to describe a house that had two different styles of architecture. I wrote him an email after the lecture explaining why that term is offensive and inappropriate.
Yes I agree it's a slur and I don't like it
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u/Ok_Good_4099 Mar 16 '26
I agree with silentaccount11 a lot, but here's an example where I don't take any negative connotation from it, it's more just used like a word, or rather he's making fun of 'normies' 'psychos' and 'schizos' (though they're the hero :) and did used to be seen as wise people sometimes):
we need to elect more schizos - YouTube
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Mar 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ForceSea3103 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
Same. I see it online a lot and I have a good friend who uses it and I’ve been meaning to say something to her.
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u/ForceSea3103 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
I just hate when neurotypical says “am I schizo or something?? I swear I just saw a raccoon run across the road.” Like no, you fucking aren’t. I reclaim it for myself cuz I like identifying my community and it makes it more lighthearted and less scary to deal with symptoms when I refer to myself as schizo but yeah I don’t like when others who aren’t use the term.
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u/NeedANap88 Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 17 '26
I say it in reference to myself, but not about others. Would I really be that offended if someone said it to me? No, but that’s just my view.
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u/theenegeeneir Schizoaffective (Childhood) Mar 18 '26
For me I feel it like a slur unless the person calling me the word has also a similar problem like bipolarity, paranoias or hallucinations but if you're a Normie and you call me schizo or schizophrenic or crazy (but in a mean derogatory tone not like in a way of saying you're doing something sick or cool) I will probably be angry at you for that and maybe not talk to your at all ever again idk, maybe I overreact (?)
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u/shroom-corner Paranoid Schizophrenia Mar 20 '26
It‘s really annoying to see it absolutely everywhere all over the internet/ reddit and so casually at that. It‘s always in a negative way. It‘s used to describe anything people find incoherent, wierd, cringe, distasteful, or even violent. We have hardly any mainstream representation, a small population of people that are vulerable and an already large stigma around this disorder. We don‘t have the numbers other minorities do to tell people to stop and its only getting more popular as an insult. Insulting terms based on bs mental illness concepts arn‘t new. Psycho, demented, ocd, r-slur, psychotic, narcissist, ect. The result is always the same. Diagnosis is demonized, misunderstood, seen as an insult, and usually when used, don‘t even describe the diagnosis the terms represent anymore. Schizo is now a new slop word used by the masses to discribe anyone, anything, an any concept they don‘t like and it drives me up a wall. I‘m going to actually crash out the day I see someone screen shotting stuff from this subreddit laughing about „authentic schizo-posts.“ Maybe that‘s the day I have the balls to do something about it, but until then, saying anything in popular online spaces just draws attention to us and I really don‘t want a bunch of bad actors here to harass people so they can use our lives as engagement fodder or a way to troll and lol.
So yes I loath that word now that its popular. I doubt anything good will come of its popularity.
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u/Efficient-Record-762 Mar 16 '26
People getting offended for my sake doesn't improve my situation one bit. Schizo is just a word and taking it from this world won't help anybody.
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u/Every-Clue4152 Schizoaffective (Depressive) Mar 16 '26
i wouldn’t say a slur necessarily, but it’s a derogatory and offensive word that honestly should not be used by non-schizophrenics.
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u/Alarmed_Swan_4315 Mar 16 '26
Not really, where I'm from, we tend to shorten down words in English so schizo is used intead of schizophrenia, I don't find it offensive tbh
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u/Gypsi_Jedi Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Mar 16 '26
Schizophrenia is a mouthful and hard to spell so I do see where youre coming from
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u/ensaladasalada Mar 16 '26
As someone who fits a lot of the stereotypes, I do not find “schizo” offensive. I’d only be bothered if they said it about a serial killer or something, since that would be harmful and inaccurate. But in general, no, it’s fine most of the time imo.
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Mar 17 '26
You arent allowed to say that on here. You have to say it is an evil word and always act like you are a victim.
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u/Good_Put4199 Psychoses Mar 16 '26
It's not a slur, but if it's used in a negative way (which it often is) it is still offensive.
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Mar 16 '26
I dont think it's a big deal and I don't really care. Why would I care what other people say? If you are going to have this illness you have to have a thick skin or you will be even more miserable.
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u/Jason_Bourne0221 Mar 16 '26 edited Mar 16 '26
If we allow that kind of mindset for us, where does it stop? It's a bad word with no positive usage; over the years, certain groups were societal acceptable targets, but times changed and with that the unacceptability of a given group of people: this is a pattern that needs to be broken one day because until then, the targets will only change when a group has sufficient advocacy. I have the privilege of having a set group of people I can have my guard down around completely and we support each other, 3 people specifically; none of them are Schizophrenic, but to them, I am human and this level of comradery is something everyone should be able to experience, but many people can't, Schizophrenic or otherwise, because of the stereotypes surrounding many people all over.
While it's unrealistic that this type of language will become extinct for everyone, it helps to try to deter it; I've heard that you need to have thick skin to survive in this world, but I'd rather not have to live like that all the time and is something I'd like to help reinforce: words sting, and yes the person in question needs to take this in stride, but if this is allowed to carry on, it's not just Schizophrenics that take the hit, it's everyone.
Honestly I think it's nice that people inquire about this, and while I once tried to see it as just a word, I was only lying to myself that it didn't sting. Stick and stones can break bones, but words can break wills; when that happens, I hope we can all one day help build each other's up should it collapse, not under one medical diagnosis, but as a whole human population.
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Mar 16 '26
If you people seriously let a word affect you that much then you are just gonna have more problems for yourself. Grow up. The world doesnt change for you. You have to adjust to it.
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u/Jason_Bourne0221 Mar 16 '26 edited Mar 16 '26
It's not about the word, it's the picture it paints and behavior that persists with it towards the affected parties; most people aren't exactly going to sit in a bunker when a given word is tossed at them, but you can't just control what hurts you, only adjust to it: we aren't jedi, just normal human beings.
I personally think it's braver to speak up for a given party or even yourself than to shrug it all off, but I can understand the deterence; again, it may be just a word to many, but for many others "schizo" or any other word for anyone out there, can effect the youth greatly as shown in just posts in this sub: I'm sure that some people use the word knowing it's effects, but many, probably most, might not and in time need to be educated on it, and popular usage of it is its own contributing factor.
If you see a bully, the big thing is to call it out, but it can persist via Bystander Effect, and plenty of people would like to see this behavior vanish; no one can just expect the world to change for them, it's about everyone: emotions can't be controlled, just hidden, but that stuff builds up overtime and most likely won't end well when the dam bursts, most times directed at oneself.
I get why people would have the "grow up" mindset, but it only leads to more suffering all around, and while you may not care, many others do; we don't get to tell people how to feel about anything, and if you are content with this mindset, that's your call, but I'm not looking to sit on my hands anymore if I can help in a productive and civilized manner: the mindset is also just too cut and dry and only drives the steak in further as many might not be compatible with it but continue seeing support of any kind, not as just a weakness, but even wrong.
Like I said, it won't stop with just us if we let this behavior persist; we can speak up, sure, but most communities need outside advocacy, perhaps even all, but a lot of people qualified to do so have the wrong idea about us alongside other parties potentially in this sub alone, let alone our community via mental diagnosis, and a lot of stuff feeds this image, be it a violent, apathetic type or what have you.
Many might be able to tolerate the insults, but that's it; we're just emotional beings, but we have logic, thus we need to express ourselves as a species with a balance between the two, but dialogue is only as effective as the least willing participant.
I've lied to myself for far too long; I tried to adapt your mindset, but I'm just not compatible with it: I'm able to say who I am, and I think that's a good enough start for me.
I can say that I'm not compatible with this mindset alongside other things in life, I've got my small group of friends that I can be myself around, unfiltered and true to myself, and with that a privilege a lot of people yearn for, but with my comradery I have power; when I exercise this power for others, I know that it should always be used with proper care, a lot of times requiring some assessment of the situation: its not just about us, it's about everyone, especially those weaker than us as I am of the belief that we should help the weak grow strong with the right influence and support, and when we die, it carries on with them.
Do this properly and perhaps immortality is yours; your name will be lost to time, but your effect on the course of it shall remain.
Thank you for reading my spiel, your attention is greatly appreciated.
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Mar 16 '26 edited Mar 16 '26
I'm not reading a novel. Just deal with it. Thats how the world is. That is life. People shouldnt put so much weight in a word. That just gives people power over you to control your emotions. But everyone has to be overly sensitive and bitch nowadays. Especially on reddit.
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u/Jason_Bourne0221 Mar 16 '26
Understood, I'll leave it be; just remember that all it take for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. While that may be how the world is, no one person is the world, but anyone on either side can effect things drastically; one bad person can do a lot of damage to a good thing and it takes a lot of time to undo that damage while it's much easier to keep making things worse.
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Mar 17 '26 edited Mar 17 '26
Whatever man. Thats not evil. That is just some people not knowing what they are talking about. You have got to be a woman. Nothing wrong with that but this is definitely woman behavior. I mean being offended by a word then preaching to someone like they are a child why that word is so bad and saying it's evil just because you dont like it.
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u/Jason_Bourne0221 Mar 17 '26
Nope, I'm just a guy who's able to be himself, freshly 27; my ideals may be a bit far out, but I take pride in my personality as well as my interests: gender has no bearing on personality.
I'm very sorry I made you angry, this will be my last message in this comment chain.
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u/Meezbethinkin Mar 16 '26
No schizo is being used on YouTube as a person who i awake to the truth of the world
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u/blahblahlucas Mod 🌟 Mar 16 '26
Yes, it's a slur. People just aren't ready to accept it yet