Is insanity the new queer?

[rgraham666]

I was browsing sche's thread, when I remembered this article in my local paper on the weekend.

Discuss.

 

[mdb913]

Man, if Insane is the new Queer, I am the gayest gay in Gayburg.

 

[Divulgence]

*****

 

[rgraham666]

It is long past time that the over-medication of a group deemed "not normal" by certain segments of society is examined in greater detail.

And I think they chose a wonderful name - The Mad Students Society.

This forces the issue into the university mainstream.

More power to them.

I agree. Now we've got to bring it out of the universities and into the rest of the world.

 

[CeriseNoire]

I don't know why universities, out of all places, would want to make everyone fit one particular mold. I remember going to see the on-site psychologist when I was an undergrad, and after our second session, she was already pushing meds.

Personally, meds scare me. I've been more or less melancholy for as long as i can remember. If the pills can take that away, I'm afraid of what else would be gone too.

 

[mckai777]

I suffer from mental illness myself. It's good to know we're making progress.

 

[_Lynn_]

I suffer from mental illness myself. It's good to know we're making progress.

Personally I take medication for My illness.......I have seen Myself without it, and it's not pretty. Almost like an entirely different person was in My body. Before the meds I was horrible...rude, obnoxious, always right, constantly stressed.....the list goes on. And those are some of the good points.

Since I have been on them, so many things have improved. My mind is clear, making it possible for Me to actually think. I now want to live, where before I didn't. I laugh everday.

It is impossible for Me to explain the various changes I guess.

And it is extremely difficult for Me to admit all this as well. Something I would not have done a year ago. But it is a part of Me, and I can't change it.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

One can be mentally ill without being insane, you know. And an insane person can regain sanity (at least I hope so, in case I ever go insane). Another case of unnecessary social stigma for things that aren't even someone's fault.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm glad to see this, but- call it "The latest Queer" perhaps.

The old Queer is right here with us yet.

 

[R. Richard]

It is long past time that the over-medication of a group deemed "not normal" by certain segments of society is examined in greater detail.

And I think they chose a wonderful name - The Mad Students Society.

This forces the issue into the university mainstream.

More power to them.

I pesume the leader of the society is "Mad Anthony" Wayne.

 

[Huckleman2000]

If insanity is the new queer, depression is still the same old black.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

The article presents a useful critique. Clearly there is room for criticism of the current regime and balance is required.

A caution, though: At a certain level comparing insanity to queerness is not valid. The distinction can be seen when one looks at activities that are considered the basic stuff of human life. These include:

Being a productive person in the economic sphere. This is unrelated to the economic system - whether it's hunter gatherer, feudalism or capitalism. Can a person participate in economic activities in ways that contribute to the tribe feeding, clothing, housing itself, rearing the young, providing for old age, etc. Or is a person instread a net burden. Homosexuality is not a relevent factor in this. At some level insanity is.

Childrearing. Homosexuals can be good parents. At some level insane people cannot.

There are probably others, but you get the idea.

 

[Boxlicker101]

It is long past time that the over-medication of a group deemed "not normal" by certain segments of society is examined in greater detail.

And I think they chose a wonderful name - The Mad Students Society.

This forces the issue into the university mainstream.

More power to them.

I have to agree with you. Psychiatrists are always coming up with diagnoses of mental illnesses, that used to be considered normal but a little different. People used to be described as having a bad temper; now they have "explosive mannerism syndrome" or something like that. Active kids are filled up with Ritalin until they become Stepford children. I am inclined to think of psychiatrists as charlatans, although I am well aware that they do some important things. I believe there are so many of them, especially in California, that they have to make up new mental illnesses to keep patients coming in to see them.

 

[rgraham666]

The article presents a useful critique. Clearly there is room for criticism of the current regime and balance is required.

A caution, though: At a certain level comparing insanity to queerness is not valid. The distinction can be seen when one looks at activities that are considered the basic stuff of human life. These include:

Being a productive person in the economic sphere. This is unrelated to the economic system - whether it's hunter gatherer, feudalism or capitalism. Can a person participate in economic activities in ways that contribute to the tribe feeding, clothing, housing itself, rearing the young, providing for old age, etc. Or is a person instread a net burden. Homosexuality is not a relevent factor in this. At some level insanity is.

Childrearing. Homosexuals can be good parents. At some level insane people cannot.

There are probably others, but you get the idea.

*blink*

*blink*

*shudder*

 

[halfdwarf]

Actually, isn't insane the OLD queer? Looking at the etymology of the word, which prior to its evolution into the modern context meant off-center, eccentric, etc.. leads me to believe that in reality queer meant insane before it meant homosexual.

Wacky.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

The article presents a useful critique. Clearly there is room for criticism of the current regime and balance is required.

A caution, though: At a certain level comparing insanity to queerness is not valid. The distinction can be seen when one looks at activities that are considered the basic stuff of human life. These include:

Being a productive person in the economic sphere. This is unrelated to the economic system - whether it's hunter gatherer, feudalism or capitalism. Can a person participate in economic activities in ways that contribute to the tribe feeding, clothing, housing itself, rearing the young, providing for old age, etc. Or is a person instread a net burden. Homosexuality is not a relevent factor in this. At some level insanity is.

Childrearing. Homosexuals can be good parents. At some level insane people cannot.

There are probably others, but you get the idea.

Really? Is this "full of bigotry and rather evil?"

On its face it appears to be free of normative content. Setting that aside for a moment, is it true or false? If true, does just stating this truth itself contain a normative component? Is it cruel to say this even if it is true?

In defense, implicit in, "at some level insane people cannot (do those things)" is "up to a certain level insane people can."

 

[mckai777]

Actually, isn't insane the OLD queer? Looking at the etymology of the word, which prior to its evolution into the modern context meant off-center, eccentric, etc.. leads me to believe that in reality queer meant insane before it meant homosexual.

Wacky.

Smartass.

 

[oggbashan]

The Mental Health charities in the UK suggest that one in three adult people will have a mental illness episode sometime in their life.

One in three IS a minority, but it is a lot of people.

Funding for treatment of mental illness doesn't reflect its prevalence.

Og

 

[Boxlicker101]

The Mental Health charities in the UK suggest that one in three adult people will have a mental illness episode sometime in their life.

One in three IS a minority, but it is a lot of people.

Funding for treatment of mental illness doesn't reflect its prevalence.

Og

"Mental Illness" is extremely broadly defined, and psychiatrists sometimes invent new syndromes or phobias. I believe that sometimes the doctors' welfare is more important in the recognition or invention of these new conditions. After all, if there ate ten million mentally ill persons, there is more money to be made than if there are only five million.

 

[CeriseNoire]

"Mental Illness" is extremely broadly defined, and psychiatrists sometimes invent new syndromes or phobias. I believe that sometimes the doctors' welfare is more important in the recognition or invention of these new conditions. After all, if there ate ten million mentally ill persons, there is more money to be made than if there are only five million.

Eheh. That reminds me of a psychology student who used to joke that her plan was to move to Hollywood and "discover" a new syndrome that excuses bad behavior in celebrities. That way she would be sure to get rich in a flash.

 

[rgraham666]

But there's a lot of people, like myself, who are nearly crippled by mental illness.

And as gay once once, the mentally ill are now outcasts, hated and derided for being 'weak'. As several posters here have shown.

I'll never get a proper job. There's a ten year stretch on my cv where nothing happened. If I explain why, my resume will be thrown in the garbage. Not tucked away for future reference, it will be tossed.

And the person who handled it will disinfect their hands so they don't catch what I've got.

So I quite resonated to the metaphor of gay and mad.

 

[Guest]

Well spoken, Rob.



(Gay or mad, in Chicago I'm still planning on copping a feel. Just sayin'.)

 

[rgraham666]

Well spoken, Rob.



(Gay or mad, in Chicago I'm still planning on copping a feel. Just sayin'.)

Twist my rubber arm. Ow. OK.

 

[Guest]

Twist my rubber arm. Ow. OK.

[Threadjack] I'm organizing rides from the airport for Friday - sounds as if you'll be in Chicago around lunchtime. We'll need to start the party early then. Hotel - drink - more arrivals - more drink - more arrivals - more drink...) [/Threadjack]

 

[rgraham666]

[Threadjack] I'm organizing rides from the airport for Friday - sounds as if you'll be in Chicago around lunchtime. We'll need to start the party early then. Hotel - drink - more arrivals - more drink - more arrivals - more drink...) [/Threadjack]

Yep. Just after eleven. If all goes as planned.

I might even have received some royalties by then so I won't have to skimp on the drinking.