This has been on my mind for a long time and I am very confused.
Has anyone noticed that the word psycho has been used as an insult for calling someone crazy? Like it’s been trivialised that it doesn’t really mean psychopath. Just like how people throw around “autistic” and “narcissist”
Sorry if I’m ignorant on this topic but I find it confusing. Can someone explain, please?
I totally agree! Psychopathy is an actual personality disorder, and a very specific one at that. It essentially presents as clinical anti-social behavior, impaired remorse and empathy, and sometimes disinhibited traits. It’s actually a whole lot more complicated than movies and TV make it out to be (I only gained a decent understanding after months of abnormal psychology classes). So calling someone a psycho as an insult or using it to refer to a mentally ill person is not at all accurate. People use it ALL of the time which really bugs me.
Yeah. Like I just don’t understand why they have to use the word pyscho as an insult. No hate for Ava Max but the song Sweet But Pyscho confuses me because she talks about being crazy.
It bugs the hell out of me when people conflate mental illness for criminality.
I know! But even psychopaths aren’t necessarily criminals. It’s a personality disorder which can give someone a predisposition to violence, but most diagnosed psychopaths have no interest in hurting people.
True that.
It’s really ignorant of people to say things like that.
Like my dad uses the word “psycho” to call someone badly behaved and I’m like, “Dad. You could have used the term badly behaved instead of psycho.”
My sisters do this a lot.
Come on. Psychosis is an actual mental disorder. I’m sick of people trivializing mental illnesses.
This is so true! Same with words like “OCD”. It doesn’t personally bother me because I know the person using it is probably just uneducated about it & doesn’t mean to offend, like how are you SUPPOSED to know the real meaning of psychopathy when you see horror movies & media calling people psychopaths all the time?
However, as someone who is diagnosed with psychosis (I’m getting treatment for it!), I never tell people about it because I know the assumptions they might make, that I’m some kind of serial killer on the inside 
Yes, people use it a lot. And I mean a lot. Even tho they know the meaning, which is sad really. Any mental illness should not be used as an insult. There is nothing worse than that.
I used to think, before I did not know the meaning of the word, that it is used for serial killers and people with no conscience.
So did I, so I freaked out when my psychiatrist broke the news to me. Even after she explained it, it took me quite a while to understand that I’m still a normal human being, and it doesn’t define who I am as a person 
Yes, no illness can define you. You are still you. 
yeah they use it that way but it doesn’t really bother me at all but that’s just me 
I have no clue about pyschosis but at least you’re getting treatment for it. But yeah, it’s just annoying that idiots conflate mental illness with evil.
Psychopaths are not necessary criminals or violent. It just means a lack of empathy, guilt and respect for others. Often, they believe that they’re right and everybody else is wrong, so it’s closely linked with narcissistic personalities.
It’s a really serious mental condition, I don’t think it should be seen as something ‘cute’ or ‘quirky’. It’s usually caused by trauma, and can ruin people’s lives.
That’s true.
I used to be very ignorant about the word “psycho” because I heard it from someone else when they were calling someone that as an insult but now I’ve noticed that it’s very ignorant to call someone psycho as an insult when it’s actually a mental disorder.
Also, I find it weird when people wear things that say “cute but psycho” like wtf!
I agree with the ‘cute but psycho’ thing…it’s super weird. I think it’s kinda disrespectful too. There’s nothing cute about being mentally ill?!
the title doesn’t match the thread for em
I know right! You can’t glorify things like that. It’s neither cute nor aesthetic.
What do you mean?
i dont think it’s overused… anymore at least. just the flawed meaning of it
I agree. It’s ableist to use “psycho” as a synonym for crazy