The term has tons of definitions. Is the issue really what is the intent of the person saying the term? It seems to me that the issue here is really about context as opposed to the term, itself. Maybe?



From Dictionary.Com


cra·zy –adjective 1.mentally deranged; demented; insane. 2.senseless; impractical; totally unsound: a crazy scheme. 3.Informal. intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited: crazy about baseball. 4.Informal. very enamored or infatuated (usually fol. by about): He was crazy about her. 5.Informal. intensely anxious or eager; impatient: I'm crazy to try those new skis. 6.Informal. unusual; bizarre; singular: She always wears a crazy hat. 7.Slang. wonderful; excellent; perfect: That's crazy, man, crazy. 8.likely to break or fall to pieces. 9.weak, infirm, or sickly. 10.having an unusual, unexpected, or random quality, behavior, result, pattern, etc.: a crazy reel that spins in either direction. –noun 11.Slang. an unpredictable, nonconforming person; oddball: a house full of crazies who wear weird clothes and come in at all hours. 12.the crazies, Slang. a sense of extreme unease, nervousness, or panic; extreme jitters: The crew was starting to get the crazies from being cooped up belowdecks for so long. —Idiom 13.like crazy, a.Slang. with great enthusiasm or energy; to an extreme: We shopped like crazy and bought all our Christmas gifts in one afternoon. b.with great speed or recklessness: He drives like crazy once he's out on the highway.

I really haven't been called crazy or nuts lately except by my mum's cousin, and she actually has some kind of personality disorder herself. She is always trying to create strife and tension, and really was only doing it because she's jealous of me. My dad banned her from our home now though, because she turns everything upside down everytime she's here.

When my PTSD was untreated and I lived apart from my family, my roommates at university called me the unibomber and said I was psycho. So I really take offense to this day, to anyone using the word "psycho" or psychotic lightly. Especially as I have the diagnosis of secondary psychosis in addition to the PTSD. The word "crazy" doesn't really bother me, as Lina was saying it has a lot of meanings. It's used around here mostly to mean someone who is reckless or does stupid things, like "crazy drivers", for example. I honestly don't think that is an inference that the person is mentally ill, more just that they are idiots in their actions.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you wished people were more educated about mental health problems. Jo public just isn't. I take the view that most people dont know what they're talking about so I no, I dont get offended by any labels. As for me personally, my friends call me 'special'. Its a running joke referring to 'special needs' which as a phrase is pretty much spot on. Also adds humour into the situation which is always a good thing.

See I'm not putting any one's opinion down here okay. No one.

I'm just sayin' 1) there are multiple ways the term "crazy" is used from sayin' to a friend, "Aw don't act so crazy." to calling the fella walking around in the park talking to him/herself crazy. 2) in my opinion the DSM is a pile of useless crap. No doctor ever developed a treatment plan using the dsm. It's used mainly to fill out forms for insurance companies, hospitals, etc. When I rx'ed meds I did it by symptom, not diagnosis. 3) getting a diagnosis in itself can be extremely stigmatizing. Get a label of Bipolar Mood Disorder well controlled with say Li, and put that on a job app. and see what happens as apposed to a type I diabetic who controls the diabetes with oral meds, food and exercise. You can kiss your career goodbye.

Yes, I see the point about crazy. Context matters. I find it sweet when used in a romantic context, "I'm crazy for that girl," however if you expand that context further in some situations it sounds obsessive or tragic rather than romantic. Most of the time I hear crazy I don't like the way it's being used.

TDurden, I agree with what your saying about the DSM in the medical and business world. However in my life it has had its uses. The DSM helped me to understand personality disorders and better protect myself, as well as recognize the traits like lack of empathy and superficial affect. It helped me develop better judgment.

Good points upstream... well said. Knew this thread was going to show some good things. Amazes me every time when you write something then sit back and watch how everyone else views the topic then responds.... some excellent points raised that I certainly never thought about at the beginning of this. Again, great thread upstream.

Thanks Anthony, I'm flattered. I just enjoy discussing the issues and soaking up everyone's experiences.

...no pun or stigmatizing label intended by the use of the word 'issues'

One of my nicks is Crazy Carl. Not because of my illness, but because I used to live dangerously. I did things no one else would do. Maybe safety (though rare), maybe too daring, or just too bizarre. Like when I was in college and I rode my motorbike down main street....wearing nothing but my eye glasses, tennis shoes, undershorts and a halloween mask. Everyone in school knew who was doing it. And it was +20*F at the time. Crazy stuff like that. All the guys were patting me on the back and I kept finding notes with girl's names and room numbers....and here I am, too moral to get a piece outside of marriage. (sigh)

Like when I used to work with the retarded, I found *I* was labeled as retarded by a number of people in the business community.

I think I'll start another thread based on my response to this.

I think your opinion is very wrong then Doug (valid as an opinion, but wrong)... because what you're stating is not what the DSM is even remotely about. The DSM is to help standardize physicians across the board to agreed diagnostic criteria to help aid correct diagnosis. That doesn't mean a physician will get it right, but I guarantee since its inception that those getting it right has increased significantly than without such a standardization mechanism. I think maybe you need to rethink your place on such a valuable tool that is utilised globally.

OK People, Let's get this into prespective. It is a just word with a thousand and one meanings.

This society has gone to the "other side" with being PC(politically correct) I am so over the entire concept.

When I was diagnosed and sent away for treatment, one of the therapist spent an entire session on how we would handle our absence from our life. What we would tell people, if we told them anything. We could chose many answers but her advise was Do Not Lie! You will eventually get caught and then be embarrassed.

I do not go around telling people I have a mental disorder. But, when a friend( I actually have one) and I are joking and discussing--ah--maybe something goofy I've done, I will respond with something like---Hey, I'm allowed. I'm crazy and I got the papers to prove it.

Please understand, I am not ashamed of my conditions. It is an illness. I have a chemical imbalance in my brain. It is genetic.

Our society just needs to ease up and not be so damn sensitive and PC.

So there it is. Grama-Herc's personal opinion on being "crazy" Cuz I am and proud of it. See, that explains why I have done some of the things I've done that folks just did not understand. Damn people, it is just a word with a thousand and one meanings.