Context, which can be translated to useful keywords and traits to use for self discovery. Primarily for learning about the coping mechanisms that others have successfully deployed but also to ease the sort of negative thoughts in the last part of this post.
Yes! And then whenever an online community springs up centering around solidarity, peer support, or advocacy pertaining to the common mental disorder, the same crowd who complains about avocado toast and rotisserie chicken get up in arms about “labels” becoming a “trend.”
Like, no it’s not a fucking trend. Some people deal with these illnesses every fucking day, and it’s totally okay for them to talk about it online with other people who understand the experience. Outsiders looking in just think they’re conforming to what the internet says about the traits, but the reality is that some people have these traits and have to live with them every day.
Clusters of traits get identified by researchers and standardized in the DSM, and that gives people the language and toolkit they need to understand themselves and talk about it with others. It’s descriptive rather than prescriptive.
These descriptions pop up online because that’s what some people experience. People aren’t retrofitting their experience just to conform to an internet trope, like some folks claim. But someone who hasn’t experienced that or been close to someone who has will never understand that.
And unfortunately, some people who are close to someone with a mental disorder are still skeptical and dismissive of them. It’s really frustrating, and damaging too, because it’s essentially gaslighting someone who’s already mentally ill by saying they’re actually fine and just need to stop being annoying, suck it up and “just be normal.” For fuck’s sake!
Ugh, I hate that! Thank you for putting that into words. It’s always been this vague frustration that I could never quite explain to people.
Like, if all the hard work and progress I’ve made only goes so far as to rule out any sympathy or benefit of the doubt whenever my obstacles become insurmountable, then I guess I’ll just fuck off and not even try anymore…
Context, which can be translated to useful keywords and traits to use for self discovery. Primarily for learning about the coping mechanisms that others have successfully deployed but also to ease the sort of negative thoughts in the last part of this post.
Yes! And then whenever an online community springs up centering around solidarity, peer support, or advocacy pertaining to the common mental disorder, the same crowd who complains about avocado toast and rotisserie chicken get up in arms about “labels” becoming a “trend.”
Like, no it’s not a fucking trend. Some people deal with these illnesses every fucking day, and it’s totally okay for them to talk about it online with other people who understand the experience. Outsiders looking in just think they’re conforming to what the internet says about the traits, but the reality is that some people have these traits and have to live with them every day.
Clusters of traits get identified by researchers and standardized in the DSM, and that gives people the language and toolkit they need to understand themselves and talk about it with others. It’s descriptive rather than prescriptive.
These descriptions pop up online because that’s what some people experience. People aren’t retrofitting their experience just to conform to an internet trope, like some folks claim. But someone who hasn’t experienced that or been close to someone who has will never understand that.
And unfortunately, some people who are close to someone with a mental disorder are still skeptical and dismissive of them. It’s really frustrating, and damaging too, because it’s essentially gaslighting someone who’s already mentally ill by saying they’re actually fine and just need to stop being annoying, suck it up and “just be normal.” For fuck’s sake!
The worse part is when you get so good at coping that others don’t see the work that goes in just to function in a society built to your disadvantage.
Ugh, I hate that! Thank you for putting that into words. It’s always been this vague frustration that I could never quite explain to people.
Like, if all the hard work and progress I’ve made only goes so far as to rule out any sympathy or benefit of the doubt whenever my obstacles become insurmountable, then I guess I’ll just fuck off and not even try anymore…