as small as a world and as large as alone

7:25am September 7, 2014

lichgem:

As someone with a “real mental illness” I am going to take a stand here:

Depression is not “mental illness lite.” Depression, like all other forms of neurodivergence, varies widely in how it affects people. Some people with depression can basically get by, maybe they need meds, but they can still work, cook, clean, and run errands.

Some people with depression can barely get out of bed in the morning and bathe and feed themselves, much less work.

You don’t have to delegitimize other people’s mental illnesses in order to call attention to the fact that things like psychotic disorders are highly demonized in both the psychiatric world and the public.

I don’t want to see people deprived of support and solidarity by people who are going to insist that they “don’t have real problems.” The world outside of Tumblr still exists and still tells those people that they don’t face “real problems.” There is no difference: It’s ableism no matter if it’s from a doctor, parents, employers, or from a neurodiversity advocate.

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