When I hear someone use the word “psychotic” in conversation and on television as a source of ridicule, I find it distasteful, and ignorant. These people have little understanding of what this word actually means.  I doubt that if they had experienced psychosis themselves that they would find it at all amusing. Another illness spoken of in a derogatory way would be considered cruel and discriminatory.  Yet psychosis, an illness of the mind, is used quiet freely to belittle and taunt other people. This is unacceptable.  An illness is still an illness whether it is physical or mental.  You are still suffering; you are still in pain.  There is nothing funny about it.

Frequently the media leads people to believe that people who are psychotic are violent people who are a danger to society, by equating being psychotic to being an axe- murderer or a psychopath.  Although statistically most people who are suffering from psychosis are of more harm to themselves than to others.