Tuesday, September 21, 2010

WHAT'S IN A NAME? 
The Great Search for a New Name for "People with PTSD"

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I was chatting with my friend, artist Glenn Fitzpatrick, and I referred to "people with PTSD" as "PTSDers". Right off, Glenn said, "I don't like that term, it makes it sound like we are defined by PTSD."  I agreed. I only used it because I hate terms like "sufferer", "survivor", or "victim"... and I really hate the terms "patient", or the condition described as a "disease"

So we decided to get a discussion going -- maybe even a contest of sorts to see what "people with PTSD" might like to be called. Vote on the top names we create on a survey online...There's no prize--other than the eternal gratitude of fellow "people of trauma" who would like to be called something else.

Join the discussion! Let's revolutionize the world with a better name, one that is more promising, inclusive, shows us as the strong, resilient individuals we are. A name that doesn't let our past define us, but shows that we've earned our experiences, own them, and that we are in control of our shared condition.

(If someone would like to sponsor a prize or prizes for people who come up with the most popular names, by all means we welcome the support for this endeavor! Contact Colleen Crary at BeFearlessToday@gmail.com )

We're off !    :-D

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