[Martin Reed]

Let's talk terminology. Do you consider yourself to be an 'insomniac'? I know that some people don't like the word as they feel it defines them as a person, or labels them in a negative way. For others, they feel that if they suffer with insomnia, then it's only right that they refer to themselves (and have others refer to them) as an insomniac.

What is your opinion? Do you hate the word, or are you OK with it? Do you have any alternative words you'd prefer people to use?

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[seenafterscene]

I think “insomniac” is fairly neutral, but at the same time it has entered such a bizarre state of pop-culture & media lexicon, that it's almost not a legitimate description anymore. For me personally, I have no problem with the word or its variety of applications, but I tend to simply say, “I suffer from chonric insomnia, multiple varieties.” I find when I say this, versus simply saying “I can't sleep,” “I have insomnia,” or “insomniac,” people tend to take it slightly more seriously, though I think, as is the case with many disorders people immediately jump on the “Oh, everyone has that” bandwagon (for example: huge difference between feeling melancholy or temporarily depressed and having a depressive or mood disorder.)

[IvanAleisterMesniaa]

I don't mind the word and I do label myself an insomniac and have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia that goes through stages, if people call me it I am fine with that too, as long as they don't make it negative, like oh Franky has insomnia he might stab you never know how well minded he is.

I just don't like oh everyone has got insomnia, yes maybe a form, since it just doesn't mean not sleeping, it is a wide variety of things, but when people say oh I know what you mean with your lack of sleep franky I don't sleep either, it gets on my nerves when I know they just sit on the pc all night and force themselves awake, I'm on the pc all night because I can't sleep, and when I can sleep I get signals pretty much, when I am able to sleep I'll yawn a lot, like nonstop and find myself writing the word sleep a lot! Odd isn't it!

But when I say I have insomnia I mean it, I sleep maybe 1-3 hours a night and that's lucky, then I'll have days where I just don't sleep for a day or two at all, then I have broken sleep, sleep an hour awake for like 10-20 minutes sleep an hour, then back to 1-3 hours sleep a night etc.

To end, I don't mind being labeled an insomniac because I am one, as long as they aren't calling me crazy, and I do not like people trying to say they have it when they don't.

[Kik]

In my experience, I've never been taken seriously when I've described myself as an “insomniac”. Telling people I'm not a morning person seems to get more empathy.

[seenafterscene]

I think part of the problem is people “identify” with the commonplace and exclude the severity of an actual disorder. Insomnia is a perfect example. Same thing happens if I'm “depressed” or in a low state. “Oh gosh, cheer up, everyone gets blue.” I'll let you fill in the blanks as to what I have to say that or what I restrain myself from saying.

[Caers]

Whilst I generally don't like being labelled at all, I will say chronic insomnia, since it's been a life long thing for me (and I want to hit people who try and tell me all their remedies for it; like I haven't already tried everything?). Although telling people I have insomnia generally doesn't seem to register with them. And I don't want someone using that term on me either if they don't understand it.

[Kik]

'Caers' wrote on '19:

Although telling people I have insomnia generally doesn't seem to register with them. And I don't want someone using that term on me either if they don't understand it.

Agreed.

I was recently told I didn't come across as someone with a sleep problem because I don't walk around like a caffeine-fuelled zombie.

Makes me wonder what insomnia means to people who don't suffer from it 🙄

[Hedwig]

'Kik' wrote on '24:

Agreed.

I was recently told I didn't come across as someone with a sleep problem because I don't walk around like a caffeine-fuelled zombie.

Makes me wonder what insomnia means to people who don't suffer from it 🙄

I get that all the time…when I tell people I don't sleep much they comment on how well I look…the honest answer is yes, because I have to get on and cope, its something I have had to deal with, but then again come and see me after 2 or 3 nights then tell me I look well…if you dare…. 😡 😡 😉

[Mike Hooker]

Nobody has ever called me an insomniac. Wouldn't bother me if they did. There's nothing morally or socially wrong with it; there's nothing derogatory about it.

A couple of weeks ago, a young lady at work asked me, “Mike, are you still writing?”

“Yes,” I said.

“What are you writing about now”? she asked.

“Right now, I'm writing a blog about insomnia,” I said, “Have you ever had insomnia?”

“Is that when you can't sleep”?

“Yes, I guess you've never had it.”

“No.”

This is as close to verbatim as I can make it. My point with this anecdote is that many people don't even know what it is.

And for those who do but have never been under its strangling grip don't care.

Believe me; I've been called a lot worse names than insomniac in my life. Most likely, I'll be called a lot more bad names before it's all over.

So, insomniac as a name or label is no big deal.

[tschopm]

I don't mind the term “insomniac” at all, although just like many other disorders (bipolar, mental retardation, psychosis, schizophrenia…the list could go on and on), people use it in everyday conversation when they don't really mean to refer to the actual disorder. Like, “OMG I'm such an insomniac…last night I stayed up all night to write a paper!” or “Matt is soooooo bipolar…today, he was nice to me in the morning and then gave me a dirty look during lunch.” Really, people? Learn your disorders before using them to describe people!

[MarinaFournier]

'seenafterscene' wrote on '13:

I think part of the problem is people “identify” with the commonplace and exclude the severity of an actual disorder. Insomnia is a perfect example. Same thing happens if I'm “depressed” or in a low state. “Oh gosh, cheer up, everyone gets blue.” I'll let you fill in the blanks as to what I have to say that or what I restrain myself from saying.

Blue? I'll show you blue! The deep blue of space is where you're headed if you don't get out of my face! Well, I'd like to say that…

Before I had my big, deep, long depressions, I had only had two episodes in my senior year. I didn't understand how easy I'd had it at that point. Very few people I've met, aside from bipolars, have had serious bouts of insomnia.

At some point, I just have to say to well meaning morons, I have idiosyncratic reactions to sleep meds and methods. They keep me awake.

[Author]

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