Mental Health Discourse - Tumblr Posts
Every time I see people talking about ‘psychopathy’ like it’s a real diagnosable thing and not a bullshit social construct it makes me die a little bit inside.
I mean technically if you're looking for an actual medical thing that corresponds, it's ASPD, but the reason ASPD exists in the first place as a diagnosis is because it is really, really hard to make any objective measure of the main traits of 'psychopathy.' Which is why in pop culture everyone loves to 'diagnose' storybook villains and violent criminals as 'psychopaths', because it's just so subjective.
The main problem with ‘psychopathy’ is that it only exists because people wanted to say that everyone evil must have a specific mental disorder, so they should make a mental disorder based around the common perception of evil.
Which is so wrong as both a scientific and moral judgment. Notice that no one ever 'diagnoses' a nice/moral/kind person (real or fictional) with psychopathy, because the idea of 'psychopathy' is so firmly entwined with evil.
Please know that no psychological/psychiatric institution considers psychopathy a diagnosable medical condition.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
It kinda bothers me when people are confronted for really negative and harmful behavior and their only response is, "well I have this disorder, so I'm the victim, everyone else I hurt is just ableist" and it's like....
You're not incapable of being responsible for your own actions just because you're neurodivergent.
There's no diagnosis that excuses being a horrible person to people who didn't do anything to you.
If you're old enough to gaslight people in media or online by going "I'm allowed to be mean/hurtful because I have this disorder", you're old enough to seek out help for your behaviors.
Some statistics show that up to 60% of people are neurodivergent or mentally ill in some way. Most of those people don't act like an asshole and then go, "oh it's not my fault because of this diagnosis." They take responsibility for their actions.
This is kinda directed at something vaguely political (I love election season!) but also just generally as someone who's kinda sick of hearing "it's not my fault, I'm bipolar!" When I also have bipolar disorder, or "it's not my fault, I'm autistic!" When I'm also autistic, or "it's not my fault, I have a traumagenic disorder!" When I also have a traumagenic disorder....
Idk being mentally ill doesn't excuse being a dick to people.