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The purpose of any diagnostic system, such as the DSM, is not to say what is ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal,’ nor what is or is not ‘acceptable’ in any society (Caplan, 1995); nor is it an effort to ‘medicalize’ society’s problems nor to channel clients to psychiatrists rather than to clinical psychologists, sociologists or other mental health providers (Kirk and Kutchins, 1992). DSM does not concern ‘insanity,’ a legal rather than a medical term, and assuredly does not concern who is ‘crazy’ or‘mad,’ terms that are layman pejorative terms, not necessarily related to mental health disorders. Such terms continue to stigmatize those with mental health problems and are a major factor in the less than adequate care that those with mental health problems continue to receive. Yet many of the criticisms of DSM use exactly those terms, e.g. ‘They Say You’re Crazy: How the World’s Most Powerful Psychiatrists Decide Who’s Normal (The Inside Story of the DSM)’ (Caplan, 1995). http://www.dsm5.org/Research/Documen...Dimensions.pdf
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"Panic disorder" and "obsessive compulsive disorder" are diagnostic classifications of mental disorders that are officially part of the DSM system. Some argue that use of mental "disorders" rather than mental "illnesses" is for political correctness but many professionals disagree for various reasons.
There are dictionaries that define "crazy" as a noun:
someone who is mentally ill. See, for example:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/d...zy_11#crazy_15
As you state, I expect most people think of "crazy" in the context of someone who is a loony, looney, nutcase, weirdo -- (someone deranged and possibly dangerous).
http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/wn
Your boyfriend is being somewhat disingenuous in your case by making his point. He seems rather mean-spirited.