This is why stigmatizing language re mental health is OK on DU

[HereSince1628]

I've been watching for an opportunity to post this sort of example ever since the Admin wrote to me and told me they wouldn't do anything about using mental health terms as derogatory adjectives for political opponents.

It took a while but here it is...notice just WHO authored this reply and the wording of the subject line of reply # 7

It'll never be OK to call Africans n*****s, or homosexuals f***, but on DU it will ALWAYS be OK to use CRAZY as a derogatory adjective.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/du3/12401152#post7

[HereSince1628]

1. Oh, SHOCK, HORROR!!!! The Admins are b****s when it comes to mental health

[HereSince1628]

2. 250 labels used to stigmatise people with mental illness

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1925070/

[HereSince1628]

3. Note similarity of terms between 14 yr olds (table3) and DUers

Well, if there was ever any question about the developmental level of DUers using stigmatizing language this table sort of pins it down.

[Tobin S.]

4. I do my best to try to de-stigmatize mental illness

Especially here at DU since I can reach so many people with a single post. That's why I post mental health threads in the lounge sometimes and less occasionally in GD. In life beyond the message board, people are always surprised when they learn that I have bipolar disorder. It's like they didn't understand that people who have a mental illness can recover. There is a lot of ignorance out there in regards to this issue, mainly because the subject is almost considered a taboo to talk about. Mental illness is often seen as an issue of character rather than a brain disorder; a sign of weakness rather than a health issue; something to be swept under the rug rather than brought into the light of day and discussed.

I think the main problem here at DU, as it is in the outside world, is ignorance. People generally do not know a whole lot about the issue, and with the absence of any kind of public awareness program, people are more likely to learn urban legends than reality. I think there are very few people here at DU who say things to intentionally denigrate people who have mental health problems. They just don't know any better and that apparently includes the admin. But if there is any guilt to assign to the community here beyond a few blatantly bigoted people, it resides with the admin because they should know better having had the issue brought before them. It would seem a case of willful ignorance on their part. Maybe they just don't want to deal with the issue because they think it affects so few of us and doesn't really deserve consideration. Maybe they see it as an attempt by a very, very small minority to impose their will on the masses. If that's the case, they are wrong. Last I heard, about 10% of the population suffers from a severe mental illness with many more suffering from less debilitating illnesses. That's a big deal.

[HereSince1628]

5. This isn't like complaining to the guy who can leave and take away the ball

It's more like complaining to the guys who own the court and can kick you out on your ass.

The model they set is the model everyone else will follow.

[Tobin S.]

6. I understand

And I share your feelings on the matter. I'm just coming at it from a different angle. Rather than trying to restrict what someone can say, maybe it's a better idea to try to change the way people think about the issue. Rather than sweep it under the rug, let's bring it into the light of day. I don't think the admin are going to try to stop anyone from doing that.

[HereSince1628]

7. I'm saying education is hopeless, I'm not trying to restrict what anyone can say

What I tried to do was point out that professionals in psychology have identified stigmatizing words
and
it turns out that's the same vocabulary used by David Allen the guy who owns this place.

Moreover, since his is the gold standard of behavior, everyone will follow it.