Suffering: the new dirty word

My wife attended a meeting recently to do with her work as a music therapist. Present were various professionals including social workers. At one point my wife mentioned a client who "suffers from Alzheimer's disease" and was immediately called out for the use of such a pejorative word.

"We don't use the word 'suffer' any more", she was politely told. My wife is much more civilised and restrained than I am, and it is perhaps just as well they didn't try that line on me. I would have responded, with some warmth:
"You can't say 'suffer' now, huh? Tell me something. Have you ever actually met anyone with Alzheimer's? And you didn't notice they were suffering? Exactly what kind of idiot are you?"

But that's me. As a doctor, I've been used to saying people are suffering from cancer, TB, depression or whatever. I know some people make a better fist of "suffering" than others, and I know disabled people often don't wish to be identified in terms of the disease that disabled them. I understand that and support it. But suffering is real, and to deny that people are, is just failing to accept reality. For instance, I have asthma and eczema. They are conditions which wax and wane in their severity. When they're in remission I'm fine, and not suffering at all. But when they kick in, I do suffer, and no politically correct social worker is going to tell me I don't. It's real life. man! Get used to it, and be happy if you're avoiding suffering right now!