A number of appellations for the psychiatrist are discussed from a historical, semantic and political perspective. Many are ambiguous, which may reflect an ambivalent attitude towards those who manage mental illness. The current designations, “headshrinker”, “shrink” and “trick-cyclist” have considerable scope for interpretation. The expression “psycho, the rapist” may signify a disturbing “postambivalent” linguistic stage. The profession's potential responses to this development are considered.
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