The word ‘psycho’ is thrown around a lot, and more often than not, it will be directed towards a female. I think this word is more offensive than ‘bitch’, ‘slut’ or ‘hoe’. In fact, it is worse than all of those combined, because those words are used to describe a person’s character, which is usually just a matter of opinion or misunderstanding. The word ‘psycho’ is directed towards one’s mental health.

Girls really don’t have to do much to be called any of these names actually. If we sleep with (God forbid) more than one person a year, we’re a slut. If we say no to your advances, then we’re a bitch. And if we send one text message too many, or enquire on your whereabouts when you haven’t come home when you said you would, then we are a psycho.

Sure, we can call a boy a psycho as well but they have to do way more to get the label than we do. If a dude sends a text message containing song lyrics or leaves roses at your door or professes love on a social network then it is not psychotic behaviour! No of course it isn’t, that makes him ‘romantic’. The only word I can think of that could be pinned on a male is the word ‘creep’ and usually we say that when you are, in fact, creeping.

I think the words ‘psycho’ and ‘creep’ are more often than not given to our less attractive fellow humans. If a guy that looks like Pharrell were to sidle up to a girl at a bar and buy her drinks and stare directly at her tits she would giggle and flirt. All a not-so-attractive guy has to do is look over and wink and the same girl will whine about being creeped on. At least ‘creep’ is a term that one can claim and almost make fashionable. We even label ourselves as that sometimes! As in, ‘I’ve been creeping on this girl all night.’ Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I’ve been going psycho on his ass because I’m trying to wear him down’?

Trust me, when a girl seems to be channeling psychotic behaviour she is hating on herself way more than you could ever hate her. She is angry because she is heartbroken over a man that probably doesn’t deserve her affection. Her heart is sad and she probably isn’t getting much sleep and her actions are conveying her illogical state of mind. Another reason could be that she is not handling rejection very well. Rejection and low self-esteem go together like bacon and eggs. I wouldn’t be too flattered by the seemingly ‘psycho’ behaviour because she is just dealing with some inner conflict on the outside and you are the punching bag.

Girls! I hate the word psycho as much as you do, but you’ll get the label whether you like it or not if you do any of the following: checking his phone and hacking his emails, showing up wherever he may be because you saw him check in on Facebook, public displays of losing your shit, wondering (out loud) what your kids would look like on your second date, being fixated on star signs and horoscope compatibility, trying to convert him into becoming vegan, altering the way he dresses from the get-go, quizzing him to the point of him practically being strapped to a lie detector about his ex-girlfriends, and last, but most certainly not least, tampering with the condom. We all hate being called names when we are acting out of character but if it walks and talks like a duck…

Moral of the story? Unless our lives are actually in danger we are all secretly flattered when someone seems to lose all dignity over little ‘ol us. So by calling someone a psycho we think it makes us look better because – gosh! – aren’t we just so amazing that we can stir such a reaction within another individual? It makes one wonder who has the self-esteem issues.

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