AIBU to feel passionate about using 'person first' terminology?

[crashdoll]

I feel particularly strongly about not labelling people as 'autistic' or 'schizophrenic'. In a world where treatment and care is moving towards being person centred and individualised, I feel it is very important to acknowledge the person who is not their diagnosis. Part of this is because those with learning disabilities and/or MH problems are still discriminated against and seem to be lumped together as a group of people with little recognition for the fact that they are individuals.

I've seen challenges to this such as; "my son with schizophrenia doesn't mind" but this doesn't wash with me because as a whole, the professional world is moving towards person first terminology. And while one person might not mind, overall, the terminology is evolving and moving forward.

Seems to happen more with some conditions than with others.

In my case, I have arthritis and no one has ever referred to me as an 'arthritic' (although obviously that term does exist). If someone did, however, I would feel pretty uneasy about it, as if it encompassed everything that I was.

I much prefer to say 'I have arthritis' and luckily for me that seems to be the accepted phraseology.

It's often hard to predict what will and won't offend, even when you have a disability yourself. I don't think that I'm particularly sensitive, but I think that 'invalid' isn't a particularly helpful or appropriate term. When I've mentioned that, however, I've encountered other people who think I'm being overly PC about something that's just a word.

Having leprosy which is easily treated is a totally different thing

You can't realy compare someone with a bacterial infection to someone with mh illness.

If someone had a diagnosis of schizophrenia but presented with symptoms of bi polar you would treat them accordingly. Someone may show typical symptoms or traits of a certain mental illness but you still treat the individual. That is why different people have different medication. There is not one type of treatment that fits all.

That is why some hcps feel labeling can be detrimental, not only are some people discriminated against because of it, sometimes symptoms of other mh problems can be over looked because they don't fit with the typical traits of an illness.

It can be like ticking off a list, if you fit the criteria we will put you in this box. When really you don't belong in that box at all.

That is why sometimes it is more important to look at the individual and their symptoms than to look at their diagnosis

My two DGDs get this a lot. One has CF, the other hasnt. They are constantly defined as the one that's 'poorly' and the one that's ok. Drives my DD-i-l mad.
E.G. 'how are your two girls doing ?'

Dd-i-l 'Oh 'DD1sname' is starting new school/Girl Guides (whatever) next week'

Other person: 'Ahh lovely, is she the one with the - you know - the one who's got..........

My Dd-i-l has got it off to a tee now - she doesnt finish the sentence for them like she used to and leaves them squirming a while. Then she will say very sweetly 'You mean the eldest one? - yes that's right'

I'm a social work student and as Birds said, we are expected to use person first terminology. I don't think my examples are in any way comparable with a green car. While you personally may not feel stigmatised, (which is a good thing obviously) it doesn't change that people with MH problems and learning disabilities do experience discrimination. We discussed this on a MH training course yesterday and the trainer said that people reported labels from professionals unhelpful because the professional only saw them as a label and not a person. As someone who has been hospitalised for MH problems in the past, I have experienced this too. I recall going to a psychiatrist and she told my mum "anorexics often engage in these behaviours". Well, I wasn't just an anorexic, I was an anorexic who has recently been assaulted which was on my notes and she knew about. How helpful was in to group me like that? Yes, perhaps people with anorexia do often end up self-harming after having the illness for several years but she failed to see me within that.

I do know btw and my dd-i-l knows that people mean well and often follow up with an enquiry to her DDs health etc. (the one with CF obv. - God l'm doing it now !) and are often only sympathising with having a child with this terrible condition.
But l think it's annoying when it always precedes or follows every single mundane everyday subject of conversation. As the OP says really - it's as if that's her - the condition, as in 'the child in year 2/3/4/(whatever) over there - 'oh the one with CF - yes l know who you mean.' Would just be nice to hear the one with beautiful long hair etc etc.now and again.

Oh well, part of me thinks 'dont sweat the small stuff' l suppose. Especially when you have much bigger problems to deal with i.e. the disability itself. l think people are just clumsy around disability/illness etc but mean well on the whole.