Comments on: Mental Illness Awareness Week Begins October 4 http://www.wliw.org/whatsup/previews/mental-illness-awareness-week-begins-october-4/71/ Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:52:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kevin http://www.wliw.org/whatsup/previews/mental-illness-awareness-week-begins-october-4/71/comment-page-1/#comment-422 Kevin Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:36:47 +0000 http://www.wliw.org/whatsup/?p=71#comment-422 While I appreciate you coverage of mental "illness," I want to make it clear that these are not "illnesses." They are only illnesses because people who think like this do not have minds that allow them to fit in pre-defined social systems. People with these "illnesses" are the ones who create great literature, art, architecture, and the y are the ones who were shamans and became saints. If the social system is ill, then those who do not think like the system prescribes will be deemed "ill." Of course, that is the Freudian model: if you don't fit the norm, then you are ill. If I am missing a limb, I am not "ill." If I am a sociopath CEO or politician, I am not "ill." But, people who have racing minds and incredible amounts of creativity and alternative thoughts are "ill." It is time we stop calling different mindsets "ill" or "disordered." If some people cannot fit into a certain social structure, then maybe the structure is ill, not the people. Maybe the social structure should create places for these people to thrive, rather than just drugging or hospitalizing them. While I appreciate you coverage of mental “illness,” I want to make it clear that these are not “illnesses.” They are only illnesses because people who think like this do not have minds that allow them to fit in pre-defined social systems. People with these “illnesses” are the ones who create great literature, art, architecture, and the y are the ones who were shamans and became saints. If the social system is ill, then those who do not think like the system prescribes will be deemed “ill.” Of course, that is the Freudian model: if you don’t fit the norm, then you are ill.

If I am missing a limb, I am not “ill.” If I am a sociopath CEO or politician, I am not “ill.” But, people who have racing minds and incredible amounts of creativity and alternative thoughts are “ill.” It is time we stop calling different mindsets “ill” or “disordered.” If some people cannot fit into a certain social structure, then maybe the structure is ill, not the people. Maybe the social structure should create places for these people to thrive, rather than just drugging or hospitalizing them.

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