Presidential Election

Carson's 'Schizophrenic' Comments Aren't Helping Mental Illness Stigma

Mental health professionals aren't happy with Ben Carson's use of the word "schizophrenic" to describe groups he disagrees with.

Carson's 'Schizophrenic' Comments Aren't Helping Mental Illness Stigma
Getty Images / Bill Pugliano
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Ben Carson keeps calling people "schizophrenic."

In reference to Muslims and supporters of separation of church and state.

"Do you think that Muslims that are Sharia adherent can actually be part of a society, integrate into a society where you have the rule of law, and you are a democratic republic and you believe in a federal system, and you believe in the rule of law and the separation of church and state?" asked Stephen K. Bannon. 

"Only if they’re schizophrenic," Carson responded. 

"Every coin in our pocket, every bill in our wallet says 'In God we trust.' If it’s in our founding document, it’s in our pledge, in our courts and it’s on our money, but we’re not supposed to talk about it — what in the world is that? In medicine, we call it schizophrenia," Carson said. 

"What in the world is that? In medicine, we call it schizophrenia — a form of craziness," Carson said.

Some people aren't happy with his casual use of the mental illness.

"The use of the word as a metaphor is tremendously damaging. ... It's part of the process of creating a stigma around mental illness," Dr. Arun Chopra told the BBC.

This video includes images from Getty Images.