Sinead O'Connor despises being called 'crazy'

Troubled Irish singer Sinead O'Connor is calling for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to be treated with kindness, because referring to them as "crazy" is "a term of abuse".

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The Nothing Compares 2 U hitmaker, who claims to have been a victim of child abuse, was diagnosed with the condition last year after doctors previously told her she was bipolar.

O'Connor, who split from new husband Barry Herridge just two weeks after their December wedding, has become known over the years for her offbeat behaviour and she is often referred to in the press as "crazy" -- a term she despises because her illness can't be helped.

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She tells People magazine, "There's no drug treatment for PTSD. Sufferers get bashed because we're 'crazy', but crazy is a term of abuse. We need to be compassionate."

But the singer, who recently underwent hospital treatment for depression, insists she's managed to hide the worst of her troubles from her two youngest kids, aged eight and five.

She says, "I've been good about keeping it together at home. But at work, I was falling apart. That's why I went to a hospital in January, so they (her children) wouldn't be exposed. My older kids see the papers, they know I've had difficulty with depression and aren't frightened by it."

O'Connor recently reconciled with Herridge to give their on/off marriage another go.

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