I'm a little disappointed that it was a medical term at all. It's a very functional word, like in flame retardant, or an engine retarder.

I think it would have been much more applicable to methods of thinking and epistemology, like thought stopping techniques and special pleading, as these also severly restrict one's critical thought yet can be overcome socially. There's no sense having a social label for a medical condition, so don't use such a punchy easy to use word for it if it's not a choice.