Romanticization of mental illness

[autisticdragonkin]

Tumblrinas consistently romanticize mental illness treating it as merely a fashion statement and something that doesn't affect quality of life whatsoever. Although it is possible for someone who is schizophrenic or bipolar to be functional it is very rare and extremely difficult to do so. If tumblrinas actually had the mental illnesses they claim to have then they would have even less functonality then they do now. Schizophrenia has negative symptoms which severely affect quality of life in ways beyond simply hearing voices. They mostly see bipolar disorder as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymic_temperament. And they mostly see schizophrenia as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizotypal_personality_disorder.

 

[shinimasu]

The attraction to mental illness seems like it's a combination of two things.

1. They think it absolves them of shitty behavior. The thinking is that if someone with say, parkinsons slaps you in the face on accident then you're probably not going to be mad at them because they don't have full control of their movements and probably didn't mean to do it. So by extension if someone with a personality disorder explodes at you, you shouldn't be mad at them because they don't have full control over their emotions and probably didn't mean to do it. The problems with this are twofold. One is that even if he didn't mean to smack you the guy with parkinsons will (if he's not a dick) say he's sorry for hitting you. The other is that people are always more in control of their thoughts and actions than they think they are. Therapy geared towards treating personality disorders can basically be boiled down to "You definitely have the power to stop acting like a dick you just need to acknowledge that." I'm actually reading a book right now called "Why Does He Do That?" which is about a guy who works to rehabilitate people with abusive personalities and I can't help thinking some of the things he talks about ring true for a lot of tumblr users.

2. Misanthropy. They don't like other people, but they want to be able to like themselves, so they find a way to "other" themselves so they can continue to dislike people without feeling like a hypocrite. Mental illness is just one of many possible manifestations. You also see this in otherkin, godkin (especially godkin), and various minority communities. "Anyone who is not like me and my small approved circle of friends is an asshole." This is also why these things tend to be catching, one guy decides he's X and all his friends adopt X as well to avoid being labled a shitlord.

 

[autisticdragonkin]

The symptom that they always ignore is: interferes with daily life

 

[Rin]

The attraction to mental illness seems like it's a combination of two things.

1. They think it absolves them of shitty behavior. The thinking is that if someone with say, parkinsons slaps you in the face on accident then you're probably not going to be mad at them because they don't have full control of their movements and probably didn't mean to do it. So by extension if someone with a personality disorder explodes at you, you shouldn't be mad at them because they don't have full control over their emotions and probably didn't mean to do it. The problems with this are twofold. One is that even if he didn't mean to smack you the guy with parkinsons will (if he's not a dick) say he's sorry for hitting you. The other is that people are always more in control of their thoughts and actions than they think they are. Therapy geared towards treating personality disorders can basically be boiled down to "You definitely have the power to stop acting like a dick you just need to acknowledge that." I'm actually reading a book right now called "Why Does He Do That?" which is about a guy who works to rehabilitate people with abusive personalities and I can't help thinking some of the things he talks about ring true for a lot of tumblr users.

2. Misanthropy. They don't like other people, but they want to be able to like themselves, so they find a way to "other" themselves so they can continue to dislike people without feeling like a hypocrite. Mental illness is just one of many possible manifestations. You also see this in otherkin, godkin (especially godkin), and various minority communities. "Anyone who is not like me and my small approved circle of friends is an asshole." This is also why these things tend to be catching, one guy decides he's X and all his friends adopt X as well to avoid being labled a shitlord.

I think a third aspect of it is that a lot of people, especially teens, tend to filter things through their own experiences in order to better understand/relate to them. Combine that with how general a lot of personality disorders are and the fact that a lot of young people are desperate for an explanation for why they are the way they are, and people tend to see enough of themselves in the general description of the various mental illnesses to identify with it. It's the same reason personality tests always seem to match the person taking them even when the answers are random.

Personally, the self-dxers on Tumblr always remind me of a scene from some book I read ages ago. The main character, a teenage girl, has to do a report on Asperger's for a class, and as she goes through the list of symptoms she realizes that she can apply all of them to at least one of her friends to some extent. She goes to her mom, convinced that her school is secretly performing a study on teens with Aspergers, until her mom points out that all the behaviors she identifies are perfectly normal for teenagers. Turns out, a few months ago the main character thought she had Tourette's syndrome because she says "like" all the time. Tumblr is basically that, except the whole "ableist shitlord" mentality means that they won't listen to their parents.

 

[shinimasu]

Well it does interfere with their daily life, just not in the way they think it does.
That's why BPD is such a common self diagnosis since it's basically depression but you're acting like a jerk about it. It's patterns if idealization and acute paranoia that people are out to get you followed by depressive self loathing. And to someone who's never had any of those actual symptoms it's easy to go "I really like this person, but I don't think they like me back and this makes me sad. I must have BPD." It's a bit like the whole "I'm sad a lot I must have depression" thing when actual clinical depression is more like being completely void of emotion all together.

But since they indulge their social paranoia instead of combating it they end up losing friends which validates their idea that they have a mental illness that hinders their social development rather than they're just losing friends cause they're being a shit friend.

 

[autisticdragonkin]

I think a third aspect of it is that a lot of people, especially teens, tend to filter things through their own experiences in order to better understand/relate to them. Combine that with how general a lot of personality disorders are and the fact that a lot of young people are desperate for an explanation for why they are the way they are, and people tend to see enough of themselves in the general description of the various mental illnesses to identify with it. It's the same reason personality tests always seem to match the person taking them even when the answers are random.

Personally, the self-dxers on Tumblr always remind me of a scene from some book I read ages ago. The main character, a teenage girl, has to do a report on Asperger's for a class, and as she goes through the list of symptoms she realizes that she can apply all of them to at least one of her friends to some extent. She goes to her mom, convinced that her school is secretly performing a study on teens with Aspergers, until her mom points out that all the behaviors she identifies are perfectly normal for teenagers. Turns out, a few months ago the main character thought she had Tourette's syndrome because she says "like" all the time. Tumblr is basically that, except the whole "ableist shitlord" mentality means that they won't listen to their parents.

That's why there are minimum ages for diagnoses

 

[dabluearmedbandit]

They are dumb attention whoring kids. It's no more complex than that. Teenagers have always been this retarded, they just didn't use to have the internet, so they couldn't spread their retardation on the same level. Most of them will grow out of it and be ashamed of themselves (like normal functional adults looking back on their high school days), and the ones who don't will probably end up with a thread on here.

 

[autisticdragonkin]

I found it very interesting how in some cases there can be completely benign traits on spectrum disorders but the tumblrinas don't even have those traits

 

[pickledance]

They are dumb attention whoring kids. It's no more complex than that. Teenagers have always been this retarded, they just didn't use to have the internet, so they couldn't spread their retardation on the same level. Most of them will grow out of it and be ashamed of themselves (like normal functional adults looking back on their high school days), and the ones who don't will probably end up with a thread on here.

I'd agree is some of these people weren't in their 30s and faking illnesses to feel like their lives having gone no where doesn't mean they were wrong in the choices they made.

Personally I think some of it comes from the kind of media kids from the 80s-00s got. I'm trying not to open a bucket of crabs and go blaming media, it's definitely more then that and there's a huge sense of entitlement along with it. We got a whole lot of the narrative that the hero character was always an orphan or mutant or downtrodden and that definitely doesn't help tumbrina mentality when you have losers who are so desperate to prove themselves the hero of their story by being different alone.

This kind of shit actually used to really bug me as a BPDfag, but honestly even I can't get emotional about it anymore when it's so damn transparent to most people with any common sense.

 

[AnOminous]

The attraction to mental illness seems like it's a combination of two things.

1. They think it absolves them of shitty behavior. The thinking is that if someone with say, parkinsons slaps you in the face on accident then you're probably not going to be mad at them because they don't have full control of their movements and probably didn't mean to do it. So by extension if someone with a personality disorder explodes at you, you shouldn't be mad at them because they don't have full control over their emotions and probably didn't mean to do it.

Except someone with antisocial personality disorder actually did mean to slap you. Tumblr has also internalized the message that mental illness can in some circumstances mean you aren't held responsible for your actions, like an insanity defense, but as with everything, they've mangled it to mean someone with any mental illness at all can do no wrong, ever, no matter what a piece of shit they are.

So a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder may explain why you're a piece of shit, or what kind of piece of shit you are, but you're still a piece of shit. Especially if you do nothing whatsoever to improve your shitty behavior.

There's a reason insanity defenses based on "personality disorders" rarely succeed. It may be a mental illness, but it isn't the kind that makes you blameless for your actions.

 

[MrsGoodman]

Except someone with antisocial personality disorder actually did mean to slap you. Tumblr has also internalized the message that mental illness can in some circumstances mean you aren't held responsible for your actions, like an insanity defense, but as with everything, they've mangled it to mean someone with any mental illness at all can do no wrong, ever, no matter what a piece of shit they are.

So a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder may explain why you're a piece of shit, or what kind of piece of shit you are, but you're still a piece of shit. Especially if you do nothing whatsoever to improve your shitty behavior.

There's a reason insanity defenses based on "personality disorders" rarely succeed. It may be a mental illness, but it isn't the kind that makes you blameless for your actions.

Yep. I have BPD and it is an explanation for why I act like a crazy asshole sometimes, but never an excuse. I'm responsible for having my illness under control. My motives might have been pure and I didn't intend to harm anyone (or had some twisted logic for why I did), but that doesn't absolve me of being responsible for managing that shit so the crazy doesn't leak onto everyone else.

 

[autisticdragonkin]

Tumblrinas love to fetishize all mental illness. In fact, this board will be interested to know that they love to self-diagnose with autism, and in fact, there is an autism gender.

But everything - depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, PTSD, DID (a huge one, especially when "headmates" get involved), gender dysphoria (I forget the actual DSM term for this), bipolar, BPD, ASPD, and on and on and on....

I especially hate the "self-diagnosis" community. They parade around the cost of doctor's visits as the reason they can't get diagnosed, despite the fact that most are high school and college students and could easily see a counselor at their school... not to mention that most are under 26 and on their parents' insurance anyway... or the fact that a visit is not going to be much over $100 which is not all that much to save up for.

Ugh. I have a handful of actual, real, diagnosed, medicated problems and it drives me nuts.

I have always found it hilarious when people self diagnose with autism. They rarely show any traits associated with it whatsoever. If they were actually autistic they would be engaged in their special interests instead of tumblring to their demise.

 

[shinimasu]

What if tumblring to their demise is their special interest? What then huh? Checkmate atheists.

 

[AnOminous]

I have always found it hilarious when people self diagnose with autism. They rarely show any traits associated with it whatsoever.

What's funny is they often do show signs of narcissism.

 

[Magpie]

Talk about a pet hate o' mine.

I've had people self-diagnose with BPD after learning I have it. These are people who live cushy lives with loving families, no histories of abuse, no self harm, and most certainly no suicide attempts. They don't know a fraction of what actually being mentally ill is like, but onto it they cling. They're moody, so they must have Borderline! I've tried shutting them down and fast when that behavior started, but they dug in their heels and screamed ABLEISM.

It hurts, but in a very annoying way. Think of a really bad itch that never goes away. Now that BPD is trendy, up goes the stigma because now even fewer people will take anyone who says they have [x popular thing here] seriously. Great, as if that wasn't bad enough already. As someone who has been through hell and high water, walked uphill through the metaphorical snow both goddamn ways, and still goes through really shitty times and relapses abound because of it all... It's pretty much like these people are spitting in my face and that of anyone else who has. A dark part of me wishes everyone who self-diagnoses would actually get the worst manifestations of what they claim to have. They would break so quickly they wouldn't even be able to slam out some crytyping on Tumblr.

 

[Totenkopf]

If you believe in medicine and doctors, well then...

Fuck these people so much.

 

[creamyfanta]

Its hard to see people lessening the meaning of disorders. But at the same time getting bent out of shape because TV shows, other media, and attention starved emos online misrepresent mental illness doesnt help anything. It just perpetuates the stigma that mental illness is made up for wusses who want to have an excuse for being twats and feeling bad.

I think many of these tumblrinas do in fact have mental illness of some sort, but its more likely than not depression mixed with special snowflake disease with large amounts of teenage angst thrown in to spice things up, and it may very well be something they will grow out of as their hormones calm down and their situations improve.

Mental illness is an interesting disability to have, and I dont want to discredit people who very well may have some form of it. But for the love of godbear get your ass professionally diagnosed, off tumblr, and into therapy.

 

[Logia_Peter]

Yeah, the thing they always forget is the whole "interferes with daily life", because Tumblrinas do not LIKE interference with their life. They don't want unpleasantness or any sort of challenge. To them, they deserve life on a platter because FUCK YOU I AM ACTUALLY DIVINE / a FOX / whatever.

They believe they have suffered in being forced to be "silent" about what they "are", and this absolves them of responsibility and any sort of need to evolve.

And you would not believe the number of self-proclaimed APDs / sociopaths on Tumblr, waahing and bawwing about things, claiming they're triggered or hurt, and then when they lash out they use their mental illness to shield them. Its pathetic. Its obvious. And its too fun for people to stay away.

I'll happily say I'm against self-diagnosis and just nod and not even care you consider me any of those "ist" titles.

Ultimately, they'll discover they're not worth any more just by latching on to an idea or a diagnosis.

 

[Erica]

Reblogs courtesy of our lovely lady stray sheep.

I see crap like this all the time. Often times is something extremely vague like this so it can apply to anyone with that personality type. Except you can't explain away your bullshit or expect special treatment if your bullshit is just your shitty personality.

And then there's posts where the listed issue isn't inherently part of the mental illness described. For example, the "white noise ringing sound" listed in this post is know as tinnitus, usually isn't harmful, and occurs in 10 - 15% of people. Lots more people to claim they have psychosis!

 

[An Ounce of Vagina]

A dark part of me wishes everyone who self-diagnoses would actually get the worst manifestations of what they claim to have. They would break so quickly they wouldn't even be able to slam out some crytyping on Tumblr.

Can we include all of tumblr's oppression fetishists too? I'd love for the fake feminist "Ma soggy knee!" types to experience the life of a woman under the Islamic State or Taliban, and for people who whine about "triggers" to actually get severe PTSD.

Ultimately, they'll discover they're not worth any more just by latching on to an idea or a diagnosis.

I think they're more likely to waste their lives complaining that their headmates are being triggered and they were "almost raped" because a man came within a mile of them. Don't feel too bad, they were never going to accomplish anything anyway.