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Difficult
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Rewriting Social Care: Words that make me go Hmmm...
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Words that blame: Difficult
“What starts as a note stating I cried in an appointment, becomes a letter that details a “difficult appointment”, which takes flight as a descriptor of me as a “difficult person”, which ultimately leads to a doctor I only just met describing me as “difficult – as expected.” Wren [7]
Tricky discussions. Feedback we find hard to hear. People experiencing tough times. Difficult conversations and difficult situations quickly morph into just plain ‘difficult’… and yes, it’s pretty much a catch all term for all the other blaming words and phrases listed here too.
Difficult case. Difficult service user. Difficult customer. Difficult patient. Difficult family.
Labels stick.
[7] Mental Health Clinical Notes: The Curse of the Paper-Self, Wren, Psychiatry is driving me mad, 22 August 2021