One of the most common topics StigmaWatch receives reports on is misleading references to schizophrenia. The most frequent are cases where ‘schizophrenic’ has been used to describe anything considered erratic or switching between two states. Examples include calling the stock market, a sporting team’s performance or the weather schizophrenic.

This helps to keep the myth of the ‘split personality’ alive by implying people with schizophrenia change from one personality or state to another. We now also see ‘bipolar’ being used to describe changeability.

When a media professional, advertisement, or public figure refers to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in this way, StigmaWatch gets in touch to explain the distressing and frustrating impact this can have. In most cases the error is genuine and those contacted are committed to avoiding the slip in future.