Opinion

It's psychiatrist -- not "shrink"

LETTER — Posted March 13, 2006

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At the risk of being accused of over-sensitivity, I would like to ask my fellow physicians to refrain from using the term "shrink" as a synonym for psychiatrist. The stigma of mental illness is well known and centuries old. Because of fear of "losing one's mind" the mentally ill have been subject to myriad slanderous terms: nuts, loco, bonkers, ad nauseam.

Similarly, those who try to ameliorate their suffering are denigrated by the appellation of "shrink." Along the same vein: "Psychiatrists are as nuts as their patients" or the ultimate backhanded compliment: "You're the sanest psychiatrist I know."

Care of the mentally ill is never easy: Stigma, discriminatory insurance coverage, etc., but it is worsened by fellow physicians' calumny. We may never convince Hollywood to stop using the term, but let's start with us.

Mark Dillen Stitham, MD, Kailua, Hawaii

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/03/13/edlt0313.htm.

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