At my work, we use the word "sick" to describe our clients. But honestly, despite having to use it with coworkers, I don't like it! I'm cautious and I try really hard not to use it because I think with regards to mental health, "sick" as a label really just means "feel free to ignore their realities and almost everything they say to you."
When you're calling someone "sick," you're in a position of power and authority and you're "othering" people. Yes, some people have very severe mental disorders that lead them to hear thoughts, hallucinate, and have delusions, but it doesn't mean that our reality is superior to their's that we can just disregard their every testimony. We are so quick to label people "abnormal" that we have made ourselves lazy. We have become too lazy to attempt to listen to people with mental disorders and try to understand their reality. We have made our experiences the baseline for everyone and everything and fail to acknowledge the fact that everyone's reality is different. Why is it that we expect everyone to understand and experience the same things? And when people don't, then the solution is to pump them with drugs and try to make them more like us.
BUT, then what? When the drugs are changing people to make their realities more like the average, are they all the sudden normal again? Let's be honest, the answer is NO. Even with drugs, people with mental disorders are still marginalized and discriminated against because they are "sick" and what they say can never be trusted. We scrutinize every little detail of their behavior and if once they raise their voice a little or swing their arms around, then they are "unstable", "sick", and "crazy." Maybe their emotional response is more sensitive than the average people, but it doesn't mean the emotions and what triggered their response isn't real or even justified. So, before we call someone "sick" the next time someone is "acting crazy" (whatever that may be to you), maybe we should just listen and try to understand from their perspective.
Found this really interesting article: http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2014/01/racist-ableist-use-term-psychopath/#.Uuf8dMyLQIk.facebook
When you're calling someone "sick," you're in a position of power and authority and you're "othering" people. Yes, some people have very severe mental disorders that lead them to hear thoughts, hallucinate, and have delusions, but it doesn't mean that our reality is superior to their's that we can just disregard their every testimony. We are so quick to label people "abnormal" that we have made ourselves lazy. We have become too lazy to attempt to listen to people with mental disorders and try to understand their reality. We have made our experiences the baseline for everyone and everything and fail to acknowledge the fact that everyone's reality is different. Why is it that we expect everyone to understand and experience the same things? And when people don't, then the solution is to pump them with drugs and try to make them more like us.
BUT, then what? When the drugs are changing people to make their realities more like the average, are they all the sudden normal again? Let's be honest, the answer is NO. Even with drugs, people with mental disorders are still marginalized and discriminated against because they are "sick" and what they say can never be trusted. We scrutinize every little detail of their behavior and if once they raise their voice a little or swing their arms around, then they are "unstable", "sick", and "crazy." Maybe their emotional response is more sensitive than the average people, but it doesn't mean the emotions and what triggered their response isn't real or even justified. So, before we call someone "sick" the next time someone is "acting crazy" (whatever that may be to you), maybe we should just listen and try to understand from their perspective.
Found this really interesting article: http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2014/01/racist-ableist-use-term-psychopath/#.Uuf8dMyLQIk.facebook
