Submitted by Catsforfun in AskRaddle

i was talking to my therapist about how my roommate scared the shit out of my by saying hi to me this morning & used the word "spooked" to explain how jumpy i get.

Therapists says i shouldnt say that word and its racist. I really love this word bc its a goofy way for me to explain my PTSD symptoms to ppl i dont want to disclose my condition to.

SHould i stop using this word? If so, can i have some alternatives?

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debored wrote (edited )

The author of Against Identity Politics used spectre.

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OdiousOutlaw wrote

scared the shit out of my

You just used an alternative.

"Spook" is (was?) an old anti-black slur; to my knowledge, it seems to have fallen out of use in that context. It's also been used as a term for feds; "FBI spook", and such. There's also the egoists use of it, but that's neither here nor there. Alternatives include scared, startled, shocked, surprised. In your case, I'd say alternatives could possibly be, but aren't limited to: anxious, antsy, excitable, skittish, or tense.

As for whether or not you should stop using the word; I don't really care, but others might. I don't think anyone really uses "spook" in a racial context anymore; "spooked" doesn't apply in this case either, as the slur is, well, not a verb.

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