trigger warnings: i take accountability for the fact that i have not done tws in the past. i will from now on be conscious of putting "tw: [content that may be triggering]" before posts that i think need that. i will also put those into the tags for use w/ things like savior. please let me know a preferred system for you/tw's that i do not do that you need and/or want.
say you’re talking, arguing, writing, or even just joking among friends, and you go to use a term such as “crazy”, “insane”, “schizo”, “retard” or something similar - just stop and ask yourself:
- am i taking into account how the use of this term is going to effect others around me?
- are you saying “crazy” when you mean, for instance, “frightening and confusing” or “a deviation from my/society’s perception of ‘normal’”? think about what you are trying to say, and aim to use language that is less harmful while still conveying your message.
- am i aware of the actual meaning of the term, and is that the meaning that i aim to convey in my discussion? am i aware of the negative connotations and implications of the term?
- why is this the word i thought of to say? question what it is that makes you believe it is okay to use this term. think about the ideas and the repercussions behind prevalent attitudes such as “mental illness = evil” and “mental illness = less than human”.
remember, your words are not being spoken into a void.discrimination and violence against neurodiverse and mentally ill people happens every goddamn day because these beliefs - that they are less valuable, less human, less deserving of fair and equal treatment - are accepted as valid in society. people are killed, and the actions of their murderers justified and even praised, because the victims are mentally ill.by continuing to define mental illness as intrinsically bad through use of ableist terms, you are contributing to the normalization of a mindset that gets people killed.and i understand that is likely not your intent, i understand what you are trying to say, i understand you are not trying to hurt others by making a joke or emphasising a point. but nonetheless, the continued acceptance of these deep-rooted ideas is hurting real people, right now, all around you. and one of the first steps in stopping the violence and discrimination against neurodiverse/mentally ill people is to challenge our own ingrained actions and attitudes.
yes. thank you for this.
been srsly thinking about the words that slip into my everyday speech and been fightin against using/the use of them, including those mentioned above. remembering that our word choice, thought processes, and actions are all closely linked—let’s think about what we’re saying, and the words we’re using to say it.
