Many people with schizophrenia are especially careful to refer to themselves as persons “with schizophrenia,” and never “schizophrenic.” But even the term “schizophrenia” is associated with a great deal of stigma.

Since 2007, the diagnosis “mentally retarded and developmentally disabled” (MRDD) has changed to “intellectually and developmentally disabled” (IDD) or simply “developmentally disabled” in many states, and in countries worldwide (1). It is amazing how much this name change has improved the lives of people with developmental disabilities. It has reduced stigma and given them more dignity.

Recently, in Japan, the name for schizophrenia was changed to the English equivalent of “integration disorder.” Since this change, the number of Japanese people recognizing they have the disease has greatly increased. Today, in Japan, patients with “integration disorder” are more likely to consent to, or even seek after treatment. This has also lead to a greater acceptance of people with “integration disorder” in the community, and a reduction in stigma (2).

I especially like the name “integration disorder” because it is representative of the symptoms I used to have. I began to hear voices at age twenty-four, and while I was ill, I was always excessively socially introverted. It was as though my brain could no longer process stimuli in my environment normally.  The desire to be alone wasn’t bad enough to be called an illness until I was about twenty, and I had lost nearly all of my friends. I always thought it was just me, and not a disease.

Sometimes I wonder: when I was twenty, if doctors had told me I had “integration disorder,” would I have listened? I don’t know. But I know I would have been much more inclined to recognize I had “integration disorder” than to believe I had “schizophrenia.” I thought that all people with schizophrenia had bizarre symptoms, like hallucinations, which I didn’t have until my twenties. With many patients, there is a slow withdrawal from relationships long before hallucinations, delusions and other symptoms of mental illness appear. The sooner that the illness is diagnosed, and treatment is begun, the better patients do.

I would love to see the diagnosis “schizophrenia” changed to “integration disorder.” But regardless, the most important thing is the understanding that schizophrenia is BOTH a mental disease and a physical disease of the brain. There is no shame in admitting one has an illness.

1. “Mental Retardation is No More: New Name is Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” by Anna Prabhala. https://sath.org/index.php?sec=741&id=10130

2. “Renaming schizophrenia: A Japanese Perspective,” by Mitsumoto Sato. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472254/