Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

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