The naming of our species: appellations for the psychiatrist

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.