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Historians often debate about what terms should be used to describe mental illness experienced in the past.

Some terms that were once used by physicians have become offensive and are no longer used.

The term "madness" has been reclaimed and is used by the Mad People's Movement, Mad Pride, and Mad Studies.

In a few weeks, I’ll be teaching one of my favorite classes. “Madness and Society: From Ancient Times to the Present” pretty much does what it says on the tin. We examine the long and controversial history of mental health and illness, starting with the Ancient Greeks and Romans, charting the rise and fall of the asylum and the emergence of modern explanations and treatments. Along the way, we discuss the relationship between mental health and different themes, including religion, gender, race, and class. Throughout the class, I try to show how history helps us to understand why we explain and treat mental illness in the way we do today, potentially empowering us to change our approach for the better.

But what about that word “madness”? Why do I use that term instead of "mental illness" or something else? Here’s where it can get complicated for a historian.

Historians don’t like using anachronistic terms to describe what happened in the past. For instance, I have written about the many terms used to describe what began to be called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the 1980s.

The first description of a disorder that sounded like ADHD emerged in 1957: hyperkinetic impulse disorder highlighted........

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