What image came to your mind when you read “Schizophrenic Man Terrifies Kids at Party”.
Well, you can watch if you’re brave enough (see below)
I could easily see this being done with “Autistic Man (or Woman) Terrifies Kids at Party”.
It isn’t right to stigmatize autistics. It isn’t right to stigmatize people with psychoses.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t challenges for schizophrenics or autistics. This isn’t to say that there aren’t challenges for loved ones of schizophrenics or autistics.
But why add to the challenges with stigma?
Left Brain Right Brain 
“Police: Professor Beaten to Death by Autistic Son”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/AutismNews/story?id=6848289&page=1
Seems as though the media generally treat treat psychiatric disease in the same way. Sells newspapers.
Good point Kev! This video really gets the message across in a good way.
bravo.
Matt Robin,
glad you liked it.
Somehow I lost the attribution comment I wrote for this–I got this via email from one of my favorite people, via this blog:
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/channeln/2009/08/schizophrenic-man-terrifies-kids-at-party.html
I’m not quite sure that the post title isn’t by itself inflammatory. While it may be semantic, if it were to read something more like: Do headlines like “Crazy person terrifies kids at party” create stigma? It might be a bit more palatable.
This message would have been sent more privately, and I really don’t mind if it is moderated out, but the Contact page claims it’s form is broken and references a Feedback link that I do not see.
Nice upload. I hate the stigma attached to having a mental disability. My partner suffers from schizophrenia and he cannot escape the stigma that he has a ‘nutty side’. The worst of it is when we attend my work’s Christmas parties in London. Whilst people talk to my partner, the way they look at him, it is as though I’d been asked to hire an entertainer and bring him along. He tries his best to live a regular life, but we find that when he goes out people expect a comedy night! The disorder needs more media coverage so that people understand better.
Anne,
thanks for the comment. My guess is that many people wouldn’t see this as a big problem, but it can’t be fun for your partner to always be “a label”.