(no subject)

[atrypical.livejournal.com]

All right, so we go to a psychiatrist, named Dr. C.

Dr. C saw my friend and his mom for a time. My friend is also multiple.

Dr. C told my friend's mom that he should be locked up because of the voices in his head.

What should we do? We don't want to not tell her, but we also don't want to be told that we should be locked up.

Any suggestions?

Please also keep in mind that the body is a 16 year old female...

Comments

[luwana.livejournal.com]

It's only an insult if taken as such. Peeps like pengke can vouch for me being sensitive to certain terminology, but I wouldn't care if somebody on my FList referred to something as "gay", because I am well aware that they do not intentionally or otherwise mean it as an insult to gay people. the usage of the word has simpley evolved.

As such I wouldn't expect anybody to care about my use of the term mentally retarded unless they had issues with it.

(half the time I think you have to be closed minded and mentally disabled to be a shrink, I really do. eh.)

[echoesnspectres.livejournal.com]

Well, I understand you meant something like "having mental problems" or "delusional"; interestingly, it seems that the official validity of the latter term would depend on how many people in the surrounding culture shared the psychiatrist's belief that hearing voices is a good reason for being institutionalized... But yes, delusional, and a danger to others. Literally.

What I have issues with - or take issue with, rather - is the metaphorical use of language related to disabilities (things people can't help) to indicate various harmful attitudes (which they can help); such as calling a bureaucratic organization which systematically refuses to see the obvious "autistic". This enforces the already pervasive (but mostly implicit) belief that disabled people are somehow evil and/or responsible for being disabled and/or difficulties resulting from being disabled.

Concerning the use of "mentally retarded" as an equivalent for "stupid-and-ought-to-know-better" (which wasn't the case here, but does happen), I don't think the term has (d)evolved enough to make it harmless; it's still known (and used by some people) as something technical, unlike "idiot", for instance.

Also, there's a value judgement connected not so much with the term, but with the concept (which is why it doesn't disappear when people change the terms). Many people are extremely angry when [they think] someone mistakes them for being mentally disabled, even if the person [they believe is] doing so doesn't patronize them. That's one sign that it isn't a neutral concept in most people's minds.

I don't think "gay" is much of a parallel at all, for several reasons, but I'm going to stop now.

[luwana.livejournal.com]

Taking into account that I never meant to literally call him mentally retarded and I thought that was pretty clear:

You *do* have a point, and I *did* see it coming, and I *do* think the fault for being offended in this case and cases like it lies a lot with the person being offended.

If it's wrong to use one label (retarded) then I don't see why it shouldn't be wrong to use another label (gay), as both usages would 'continue the mindset that x label is bad'. Except that while some people are and always will be (I nearly said retarded lol) enough to think gay/retarded/autistic people are nasty and sick, a lot of the people using the terms have nothing against those individuals. I don't find the use of any of the terms to be a problem unless it is clear that the person is using the term because they are either uneducated and feel the term applies, or because they are causing offense and happy about it.

Gay is still known and used, many terms are. But retarded (and other terms) have been in circulation since my childhood and before, so I think the usage has been evolved for a goodly while. That it's still used in a technical fashion is irrelevant to someone like me because I am aware, generally, of that people aren't using it in an even vaguely technical sense so it is *not* an insult towards mentally disabled people.

I have never heard of 'autstic' being used as an insult before, but hey if it was used as a term for 'stupid' by someone who was clearly aware of that the person *wasn't* autistic then TBH I wouldn't hold it against them, regardless of how I personally get diagnosed.

I'm sure some stuff is offensive. When I was younger it was common to call someone a spazz or a mongo and make demeaning gestures. And I'm sure the people who did it wouldn't think twice about doing it to someone who *was* disabled. *that* is different. Maybe you don't think so, but I do, and I don't have a problem with using such terminology, just like I don't have a problem with cussing regadless of who doesn't like it ;)

But I wouldn't laugh at a retard, calling them a retard, and I wouldn't cuss my granny ;)


I'm babbling and really not sure I got what I mean across because it's a mindset more than anything else.

[luwana.livejournal.com]

Random thought: there's gay (which I don't see the difference except that docs use 'homosexual'), and there's also 'noob'. :D Yes I'm a gamer, why do you ask, lol.

calling somebody a noob isn't offensive to newbies until the person makes clear they apply it to all newbies. Hell the terms have grown so far apart that they're generally accepted as not even being related anymore. Doesn't take long for words to change it seems.