By MADDIE McCLOUSKEY
Think about the last time you called someone crazy (to their face or behind their back).
What message were you trying to send? I’m sure it wasn’t a positive one.
Was the “crazy” person a woman? I wouldn’t be shocked.
It would be hypocritical of me to shame you for it because we’ve all done it. That’s why it’s important that we discuss it.
The Connotations of ‘Crazy’
There’s a disconnect between the usage of the word “crazy” and its actual meaning. When calling someone “crazy” in conversation, it usually serves one of three purposes
1. To “Other” them.
When you call someone crazy, the implication is that they are separate and somehow entirely different from you.
They’re a deviation from the norm — they’re other.
Othering a group of people is the first step to inequality. And separate isn’t equal.
2. To Dismiss
I find that “crazy” has become a go-to word to describe less-than-perfect family members and ex-partners. When someone in our personal lives is deemed “crazy,” it’s code for “I don’t like them. Don’t take them seriously.”
We use “crazy” to write people off.
3. To Shame
In everyday life, we brand people with a scarlet letter “C” when we do not approve of their behavior.
This implies that so-called crazy people have complete control of their actions and should feel ashamed for stepping outside of the norm.
But here’s the thing: I actually am crazy.
I am one of millions of people living with real mental illness, undergoing real medical treatment, and experiencing the real societal stigma of being “crazy.”
Calling people crazy others them, dismisses them, and shames them.
It also others, dismisses, and shames people like me.
Invisible Ailments
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “a mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.” This definition is broad for a reason: It encompasses a wide range of diverse and serious conditions.
Because there are so many different types of mental illness, I am positive you know someone living with one. One out of every four adults and one out of every five teenagers will experience mental illness in a given year.
You can’t tell someone lives with mental illness just by looking at them. Even mental health professionals have difficulty making precise diagnoses since mental illnesses are invisible and manifest themselves with varying symptoms.
Not to mention, people living with mental illness may not want to talk about their struggles.
Because mental illness is not outwardly physical, many people living with mental illness have their experience questioned, dismissed, or mocked by others. For me, disclosing my mental illness can feel more nerve-wracking than coming out as a lesbian.
You may not see mental illness, but it definitely exists. You may not hear about mental illness, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.
Top Comments
Lookie here! Lookie here! Another word is added to the growing list of words that we cannot use anymore. Because?
I call people crazy all the time. My favourite expression - 'Bat Sh*t Crazy'. Women get called crazy because a lot of the time, we act crazy! Things like - calling your partner 40 times in a row with 27 text messages because they haven't answered in 1 hour is CRAZY. Doing drive-by's of their house when you suspect they are cheating or moving on too fast is CRAZY. These are all things I know women have done and it makes them seem crazy. But that's what love and betrayal does to a person - turns them crazy. However with saying that, I have also known men to act crazy.
Its not gender specific, it is just a trait of women to be more highly strung and therefore act a fool (thanks Luda for that).
I think this society is becoming so "politically correct" its sucking all the fun out of life. Calling people crazy, in the examples i have used, is not saying "that person must have a mental disorder" its just a descriptive that fits. Its like when people use the word 'gay' to describe something they don't like "oh thats gay". Its got nothing to do with homosexuals, its just what we have grown up hearing and therefore use.
I for one would not be offended if I was called crazy. I might not understand it at the time, but I could look back (and I have!) and go yeah, I went a little bat sh*t crazy!
Yeah, calling bad things gay is also offensive...
Just because a phrase is what we've grown up hearing, doesn't mean we shouldn't question it and stop using it if we learn that it is offensive.