the reduction of “mental illness” to just moderate anxiety and depression really fucking pisses me off. any discussion at a workplace, school, university, doctors office, on the radio, on TV, in the news on “mental illness” is always just a discussion on anxiety and depression. all the awareness on social media for “mental illness” is always just for anxiety and depression.

I’d like to think this is because they are the most common forms of mental illness (though it has to be said anxiety and depression in themselves are umbrella terms, there are lots of different anxiety and depressive disorders), but I’ve got to say I’m noticing a theme in symptoms of mental illness that people can tolerate. even the more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression are simply not discussed, our own fault or are just excuses of some kind.

schizophrenics, bipolars, borderlines, people w/ DID etc. for some reason are in a seperate category than depressives and anxiety sufferers. there’s mental health issues and then there’s us crazy people. they dehumanise us and turn us into serial killers, bad parents, abusive husbands, cheaters and manipulators in their books and TV shows. if they can’t make our symptoms look romantic and easily fixed, they don’t want anything to do with us. we’re only useful for a good plot point, and in real life no one wants to talk about us. we’re here too, and there’s nothing to be gained by leaving us out of the discussion

Eowyn strikes me as the type of person who grew up feeling desperate and suicidal whose life could only really have meaning if she died in battle in a meaningful way. She wants to fight, and she does. She’s awesome and badass. But she lives. The war ends. And she’s facing a future she never thought she would have. And Eowyn is brave, so she chooses the bravest thing that she could possibly do: attempt to heal. Make new and meaningful relationships. Learn how to mend broken things and help others to do the same. She lives. And there’s something powerful in that.

It’s also interesting how her own suicidal ideation finds a cultural expression. Her mental health issues may be individual but the way she shows it is very Rohan, like “I am traumatized and grieving therefore I must fall gloriously in battle.” And while Tolkien gives a sympathetic and dignified portrayal to the Rohirrim, including Éowyn, seeking death in battle, he also makes it clear that living and healing is the harder and more courageous thing to do. Éowyn and Faramir’s conversation on the ramparts is probably my favorite scene for that reason.

yo being black and depressed is hard as fuck. being black with anxiety is hard as fuck. being black with a chronic illness or disability is hard a fuck. everybody expects you to be ‘strong’ at all times and no one sees black people as complex or nuanced enough to be capable of suffering. no one ever thinks we could possibly need help. and if you’re a black woman, the moment you stop thinking about others and try to tend to yourself you’re a selfish lazy ungrateful bitch.

support black people, esp women, who need help. don’t just call us strong or tell us we’ll get through it, help us. protect us. uplift us. allow us to be beings capable of suffering. give us the same space you’d give white women to express our pain and be there for us like you would for anyone else. 

don’t just like this, reblog it!

This wasn’t the post I intended to make, but hear me out:

I don’t think there is anything wrong–as long as you are speaking through experience or after doing some research–with concluding certain villains might suffer from specific mental illnesses. What IS wrong is ignoring the fact that many heroes and anti-heroes likely suffer from mental illness and still manage to make the right choices without falling into villainy.

I see way too many fans coddle and excuse the behavior of their favorite villains and cite their past trauma to do it. I’ve seen this happen with villains like Loki, Joker, Kylo Ren, etc. They completely ignore the counter to each of these characters:

Loki and Thor grew up in the same household and were raised by the same toxic parent (and when you choose one child to be the “golden standard” and use their “successes” to put down the other child, you are in fact abusing BOTH children).

Joker’s past is a little sketchy as it changes with each continuity and we’re rarely given a straight answer as to what happened to him to lead him into villainy, BUT Bruce Wayne watched both of his parents get murdered in front of him. I think you have to be careful with this comparison because it’s likely coming from a wealthy family that Bruce had access to more help than Joker did, but you also can’t ignore the fact that most of the rogues didn’t have his privileged upbringing either and still retain some redeeming qualities (Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have no problem protecting a little girl from a predator, just to name one example). Joker, however, cannot and will not be reasoned with.

And with Kylo Ren? Like Rey said, his parents actually “gave a damn” about him. Rey was abandoned. Rey never really knew her parents. She had to learn to survive and feed herself from a very young age. There is no denying there is trauma that comes with such a life, but she still chooses to be good.

I think it’s a problem when fandom uses mental illness as an excuse for bad behavior, especially when they ignore the good characters who are also dealing with trauma and are working through it. By doing this, they are vilifying mental illness. They are suggesting that having one mental illness or more makes it inevitable that a person will become bad and make bad decisions. This is simply not true, and I wish fandoms would stop misinforming people about mental illness and abusing this discussion just so they can justify enjoying a villain.

You can enjoy villains without mischaracterizing them.

You can be entertained by villains without making excuses for them.

You can like villains without derailing people’s criticism of them by coddling said villains.

I don’t know why this is difficult to understand.

It's also worth examining who gets this coddling treatment and who doesn't. In Star Wars, not only is Rey visibly traumatized and mentally ill as you point out, with Kylo seizing on this vulnerability for his own advantage, but Finn's very first appearance showed him having a panic attack and then being bullied by Kylo. But somehow to much of fandom Finn is not "relatable" enough or not sick enough (read: not evil enough, which is again ableist bullshit that equates mental illness with evil) and Kylo is the one who's the really important representation. Rey's and Finn's entire arcs in TFA and TLJ were about choosing to fight back and do the right thing through their love of each other despite lifetimes of trauma, but fandom keeps relegating them to Kylo Ren's support characters and devices for his supposed redemption. And I'm heartily sick of it.

There's no such thing as a stupid reason to be alive

•you don’t want to see the effect it’d have on your friends •you have a test next week •that movie is finally coming out •the season of that show isn’t over •you don’t want your team to be down a player •that song is stuck in your head and you wanna hear it again •you never got a chance to ask him out for coffee •that novel you wanna write still needs to be written •the cafeteria has really great cookies on Tuesdays •you owe your mom five bucks •you haven’t gotten that haircut you dreamed of yet •your package is on its way •your lab partner has no clue what’s going on and needs your help •that YouTube Q&A is coming out and they might use your question •you have a great idea for a cosplay you wanna do •more photo booths •more ice cream flavors •more new coffee shops •more laughing •more writing •more friends •more memories •more finding yourself •more of you •you matter •you’re loved •you’re important •you’re a star •you’re a nebula •you’re a flower, still growing •you’re a constellation, still forming •you’re a story, still writing •you’re a song, still composing •you’re you. And that will be enough.

Stay alive. For anything. Stay alive. For you.

Adhd things that need to be talked more about (because adhd is more than just not being able to focus)

These are all the ones I can think of right now, but it’s really important we talk about this stuff more. All of these things that come with adhd can be very frustrating for those around us because they don’t understand that we can’t help it. To an outsider, it may just look like a person with adhd is just lazy and doesn’t care, when it’s actually just how our brains are wired. None of us want to be frustrating to others!! In fact, all of this frustrates us too!! But since adhd is just known as “not being able to focus”, people don’t realize what all comes with it and how it can really fuck everyone over.

Please add more if you can think of anything else!! I’m horrible with lists lol

^^^ I was gonna add RSD, glad someone else did! Also (this is long and I know I left a lot out/probably messed up but I don’t have the brain rn to proofread and these are Important):

ADHD is an executive function deficit disorder (EFDD) 

A lot of the below points are related/connected to executive dysfunction, bc it’s such a huge part of our brain structure, even with the help of meds. Strap in for some psychology fun, folks!

ADHD IS A REAL DISORDER THAT GOES WAY BEYOND WHAT YOU THINK

I know we ADHD peeps have trouble reading lots of text at once, so 

TL;DR: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!??!?!!!??!!!

My fucking hero forever.

I know some people don’t like the term but white sociopathy is the only thing I know that perfectly describes the completely contempt and utter disregard for Black humanity that the average white person shows just so casually. They aren’t even aware that they are doing anything wrong and I do mean that they aren’t conscious of what they are saying but that they don’t see what’s wrong with saying it. They can literally defend explicitly racist actions of a white man wanted to kill a Black man, any Black person, to avenge a white female and think “there’s nothing racist about this and to think otherwise is wrong”. It’s actually mind blowing.

The way white Women will quickly go from big badass to victimized to garner protection and pity is also astonishing and something I’ve seen repeatedly in real life in my interactions with white Women who hurt ME. So many white women on my posts who call me an idiot or ignorant will then, when proven wrong, will bring up every mental illness on earth to justify themselves. They start crying and making “i guess I’ll die…” posts to avoid responsibility for racism. That kind of manipulation that exist so uniquely at the intersection of white sociopathy and white fragility is just honestly abhorrent.

And I don’t know how to even go about addressing any of this issues because when you bring it up, point to how they are subconsciously and automatically refusing to show empathy to Black people, they shut down and conduct mental gymnastics (I’m progressive, I have Black friends/family, I love Beyoncé and Obama) to also believe I’m talking about other white people in other places. Never them and their actions.

From a few years back but all too relevant: The Concept Of White Supremacy Involving Sociopathy Is NOT Ableism

bro, a lot of men NEED to go to therapy not just for their own sake but for the sake of every person they have power over in their lives

if you are a grown ass adult man and you refuse to handle your personal issues that directly negatively impact the people around in varying degrees of harm, even leading up to abuse, that’s YOUR responsibility to fix. no one is saying abusive men dont have ‘reasons’ to be the way they are, but that doesnt change the fact that no one who isnt them can fix their shit

romanticizing mental illness is dangerous and misleading

Fucking preach.

Uwu smol baby autism: adorably awkward, huggable, acts cute when confused, has some sort of rainman talent and a perfect memory in general

Real autism: worrying about whether you’re interpreting people’s cues correctly/making your tone sound correct for the context, or whether they’re about to get wierded out and uncomfortable bc of something you said, sensory issues that drive you nuts, not being able to adapt to sudden changes in plans and freaking out, melting down or shutting down when stressed by stupid things

^

Reblogging for the autism part that is just too real 

!!!

Honestly, all of this would make better writing anyway. If we wrote mental illness as it really was, people would be more aware. *sigh* sad how disconnected we are.

some things that horror movie culture has taught you are scary…. are just ableist

….clarify?

okay sure. psychosis? scarier to have than to know someone who has it. DID? im more a threat to myself than people around me. wheelchairs and psych meds? are tools that help people live more functional and flexible lives and are not judgments of the persons character and for sure are not scary things. and for real, intellectually disabled people are not threats, but movies love to make them villains because they act different and understand the world differently. and people with notable physical differences? people who’s bodies look different? people with scars, growths, amputations, etc? are literally just people. and seeing themselves painted like monsters on the big screen is absolutely sickening and damaging to how society will see them.

its not only bad writing but its extremely harmful to people who actually live with conditions that are misrepresented in media. when i found out i had DID, my mom freaked out because her only point of reference was Sybil. when i was younger and first went on psych meds, i thought it meant i was set on a track to be a bad person, because in so many movies and video games you find out the bad guy has medication in his bed side table for some sort of psych disorder. the worst thing a hallucination has ever made me do was wake my mom up at 3 AM to check my bathroom to see if the bugs i saw everywhere were real and the worst thing an “episode” of any sort has made me do is hurt myself. my ptsd doesnt make me kill people, my alters dont kidnap people, my autism doesnt make me so morally unaware that ill murder for senselessly, my ocd doesnt make me hurt people etc etc etc

literally the only “horror” is the ableism. and the only way you can write good horror about disability and mental illness is if the focus is on how society and the medical field treat us rather than focusing on how we are apparently so scary, threatening, and bad.

Full offense, but if your coping mechanism involves hurting others, or other people are hurt as a result of your coping, then it is in fact a shitty coping mechanism that you need to get rid of, and the people you hurt have every right to be angry with you and call you a shitty person.

Schizophrenic/psychotic people are especially vulnerable to various types of abuse and we need to talk about it.

If you’re used to doubting your own perceptions and relying on other people for reality checks, you’re much more vulnerable to gaslighting.

If you’re already paranoid, people can easily fuel that paranoia and use it to further isolate and control you.

If you’re delusional or hallucinating, people can manipulate you further into your delusions/hallucinations and use them to control you and abuse you.

If you’re used to ignoring your instincts because they’re rarely reliable, you might accidentally ignore som very real red flags.

If you rely on a person to take care of you, you may be forced to ignore mistreatment because you don’t have other options.

If you struggle to communicate with other people due to thought disorders, disorganized/atypical speech or lack of speech (alogia) you may struggle to speak up and ask for help.

If you have a psychosis spectrum disorder of any kind, it can be used by your abuser to invalidate and dismiss you if you do speak up against your abuse.

So please look out for your schizophrenic friends, relatives and acquaintances - cause we can’t always look out for ourselves.

It would mean a lot to me if you’d consider reblogging this as schizophrenics are usually the ones painted as dangerous and scary, and it’s important to me that people as many people as possible see that we’re usually the ones who are vulnerable and scared.

Growing up in an abusive household is a fucking trip dude……If you’ve never had someone angrily wash a dish at you or fold a sock in your direction then how are you gonna understand why I get nervous when you quietly do the laundry, or why I ask “are you mad at me?” when you set the bag of groceries down too hard? It’s a totally different way of living and it impacts you long after you’ve left the situation.

This is so important.

Abused kids speak a language you can’t learn

I think a lot of people misinterpret this post to mean that folding a sock angrily at you is abusive, and that’s not what it means at all. The fear abused kids feel at this kind of behavior is a conditioned response because we know what comes after. Its about sitting there terrified and waiting for when they will snap.

This is actually a symptom of PTSD, which is more common among child abuse victims than modern veterans

heres a snippet of what the writer and her fellow reylos are sending to me tho so like? who cares if u got death threats babe join the club lmfaoo. and yes boo i too have clinical depression and anxiety and YET i havent threatened self-harm as a way to get out of consequences. fuck outta here with that mess. stop being an ugly violent racist and nobody will bother you! it’s not like you get hate mail for just existing like the rest of us. cry me a river. 

despicaWhat J said. They do these things to us to really showcase their violent bigotry (antiblackness and islamophobia in J’s case) then turn right back around and cry victimhood. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if these were reylos sending her this shit so that they can really play their victim complex.

They are all fucking despicable.

It's so telling, like practically a case study?? A white woman (op), an Asian woman (me), and a Black woman (@muslimfinn) all tear into a shitty racist fic. Guess which of them gets threats of violence, suicide bait, and Islamophobia in their inbox. I published both the critical asks I got in relation to this mess. They were annoying, disingenuous, and self-serving, sure, but NO ONE threatened me or was bigoted toward me. The difference in treatment is palpable.

And yeah, fuck off with hiding behind mental illness/RL issues. White women called on racism pull this shit all the time, weaponizing their perceived frailty to silence criticism and avoid accountability. Because obviously the people they hurt can't have mental illness or other shit going on in their lives. Because everyone else are just dumb brutes with no real feelings and inner lives that matter. Because it's not like racism, interpersonal and institutionalized, is devastating for the mental and physical health of Black people. I find myself agreeing more and more with the analysis that white supremacy is a form of socially accepted sociopathy (link) that frees too many white people from empathizing with Black people or indeed seeing them as full people at all.

NICE!

Why are the rylos trying to call antis ableist for criticizing Kylo, just because they headcanon him as having BPD? I’ve seen more and more posts like this on my dash and it’s just pissing me off so much. Just a warning, this is more of a spur-of-the-moment rant than any coherent analysis of Kylo’s character, but I just needed to vent.

First off, it’s a headcanon, not a definite fact. Headcanons are subjective in the best of times. Even though I agree that Kylo displays many BPD symptoms (a la Anakin in the prequels), this has never been confirmed either by supplementary material or Lucasfilm executives. Because of that simple fact, other fans have the right to headcanon Kylo’s mental health in any damn way they please. So do you! You are perfectly free to headcanon Kylo as BPD, but that doesn’t mean you can go around forcing your headcanon onto others.

Second, and more importantly, having a mental illness is no excuse for committing atrocities such as murder, genocide, patricide, terrorism, and mental violation. I stated when I reblogged the original post that there is a difference between an explanation and a justification, and I’ll reaffirm that. If Kylo was confirmed as having BPD, nothing is changed about his morality. The way he acts would be better explained, sure, but certainly not justified. There’s a difference and people need to get that into their heads. Mental illness does not physically make you do anything, and I say this as some who has faced these issues multiple times. It influences you heavily and dangerously, but any physical reaction is a response that you yourself have decided to act on. Mental illnesses are terrible misfortunes that mess up your perception of life in general, and although they may influence you heavily, you are still responsible for carrying out these awful actions. 

Hell, I have bipolar disorder. If I commit a murder and blame a manic episode for “making me do it,” I still deserve to be prosecuted. What makes Kylo any different?