Discuss your Opinion!

[NioA]

#Subject 36:

 

The issue of mental health and its illness is a very serious one, and I'm glad that in recent years, it is actually being treated as one. You would normally be disregarded as a 'freak' if you were to reveal the fact that you yourself from a mental illness, whether it be schizophrenia, dementia, or whatever. I do feel as though that the people that really risk the integrity of the new movement are politicians - namely, those that are very passionate when it comes to guns. You know the type. Whenever a mass shooting comes up, rather than actually argue about gun safety and how to prevent further gun violence, politicans will just point towards "mental illness" and be done with it. This pisses me off for two reasons:

 

a) You're essentially fearmongering. Society is infatuated with the idea of "us vs. them" - just look at scripture or literature. When you point towards the people that have to deal with their own personal hell, and say that *they're* to blame, you're giving the public a group to despise and ignore. This is dangerous because *these* are the people that need help the most.

b) I have to deal with mental disorders myself. I suffer from anxiety disorder, as well as depression. So when I'm apparently one of the many people that will commit the next mass shooting, I'm obviously not going to appreciate the notion.

 

Besides, mental health is a rather common issue. There's no way you haven't met a single person that doesn't suffer from some sort of disorder. For years, I hid my issues from others, and when I finally talked to my mother about it, she was honestly surprised since I "seemed okay."

[BTGBullseye]

The problem with mental disorders is that almost everyone has one... If so many people have it, is it really a disorder, or is the 'order' really the disorder?

[Jeb_CC]

Tbh, I am fine with pointing out that mass shooters/terrorists have some kind of mental disability that affects the way they feel empathy/sympathy/any emotions at all. But I don't think we should use that as an excuse to shit on people who are like that, but instead remind ourselves the importance of proper and moral education, helping those that do have those mental disorders.

@BTG: Mental disorders are broad and vague, they're all different so yes, it is really a disorder. They're called that because they negatively influence our thinking/behaviour. Sure, everyone might have one, but these disorders can range from 'It hurts a little to' - 'End my life'. Sooo...

[BTGBullseye]

True, but the definition of 'normal' is "the usual, average, or typical state or condition", and if a 'disorder' (defined: "a disruption of normal physical or mental functions; a disease or abnormal condition.") is the typical state, it can't by definition be a disorder. This is the problem with the way current 'disorders' are categorized. There are plenty of things in our mental state that can negatively affect us, but they can't all be considered a disorder simply because of that negative effect.

[rairii]

@NioA It would certainly help to stop marginalizing people who are mentally ill and make it easier for them to get access to professional help. I like to think a lot of the people who own and use guns are diligent enough to meticulously practice gun safety, but it is frustrating seeing the problem of mass shootings just being swept under the rug or blamed on mental illness alone.

 

@BTG 1% of people suffer from schizophrenia, 5% suffer from ADHD, 1.4% of children are on the autism spectrum and 0.6% of adults are transgender. It isn't unusual for people to have mental illnesses, but it isn't usual for people to suffer from one of them specifically, because there are just so many of them and they're all different.

[BTGBullseye]

1% of people suffer from schizophrenia, 5% suffer from ADHD, 1.4% of children are on the autism spectrum and 0.6% of adults are transgender.

Where are you getting those numbers from? I know that at least the ADHD numbers are extremely debatable, as the APA and the CDC have radically different numbers. CDC puts it at over 11%, and that's just children that actually get tested for it. (many don't, and many get misdiagnosed as having or not having the disorder)

 

The problem is defining and diagnosing what is and isn't a disorder. For some, it is a disorder, but for others (such as myself with a relatively strong version of ADHD with a lot of really strong OCDs that cover it up) it isn't.

[Jeb_CC]

The problem is defining and diagnosing what is and isn't a disorder. For some, it is a disorder, but for others (such as myself with a relatively strong version of ADHD with a lot of really strong OCDs that cover it up) it isn't.

For some disorders like Bipolar/Schizohprenia/Etc, it's easy to define as 'something is wrong'. If someone occasionally has the want to kill themselves which is a frequent symptom in those disorders, then it's most definitely a disorder and a problem.

But IMO, ADHD, ADD, Autism feels kinda questionable to me. There ARE definitely some people I know who have those and cannot function/behave 'normally'. But I also know plenty of people who supposedly is diagnosed with these things and honestly, they seem completely fine - they can do their work, they can have a normal conversation, they get A grades at school. A friend of mine at school supposedly has ADHD but I'd known him for 7 years and couldn't pick that up until he told me. Which seems a bit bullshittery to me lol I think definitely psychologists are just slapping some disorders on people, just cause it makes the parents a little more satisfied with paying for the psych.

[BTGBullseye]

That problem can even be applied to other medical issues. I will again use myself as an example.

 

I have what is considered to be very high blood pressure. (150/105 right now) I was recently given medication to reduce it when it went into the 'extremely dangerous' range after I started getting headaches from coughing due to an illness. That medication helped reduce the headaches, and my blood pressure into the human 'normal' range. Of course, it also caused me significant arterial pain in my left leg, reduced cognitive ability, and occasional dizziness. I had to stop taking the medication when I had a bout of not being able to move my right arm due to the arterial pain. All symptoms I experienced are totally unrelated to the medication itself, but are due solely to the reduction in my blood pressure.

 

If something like this can occur for something as well known and understood as blood pressure, how can we really accept without question diagnoses of disorders that affect an organ we know almost nothing about?