The Us Versus Them Stigma

I do not have a problem with what I am called or what it might mean.

I do have an 'us versus us' issue though. It IS judgemental of me, and it is what prevented me from attending group therapy. I have a problem with the difference between people who are responsible in their management of the illness, who consider advice and ask for help when they need it, versus people who ask for help constantly, never take advice, and aren't responsible in their management of their illness. They may threaten self harm repeatedly, then never answer the people whose help they have sought. Their lives lurch from crisis to crisis and never do they acknowledge that others have been in the same position. They leach the energy from other people and personally I know it triggers depression in me. I have to avoid these people if I can and that is MY problem, I know.

I am so self-righteous and completely black and white which are part of my psychological problems. But I have never held anyone to emotional ransom, although I certainly could have.

Everyone is at a different place in their illness, but I don't see all 'us' as 'us', and I don't identify all 'us' with 'me'.

Post edited by: fizzio, at: 09/02/2008 01:45

So that means that we should be just content with what we have got and not bother? The past is always worse, and we should always strive for a better future. Go tell a homosexual person that because in the past they were put to death or put away they shouldn't want same sex marriages and see how they would swallow it.

Huh? Really? Are we on the same planet? What is it that you think I said we should just be content with? And not bother doing WHAT???

I agree that we should always strive for a better future, and did not, at any time even HINT at anything otherwise.

Perhaps you should go back and try again. You are WAY OFF BASE HERE PAL, and frankly, I question your motive for responding, since you obviously aren't paying very close attention.

Why would I want to tell ANY person, homosexual or otherwise, something that clearly makes zero sense??

However; I will say that I DID think choosing to end a sentence regarding homosexuals with "...and see how they'd swallow it" was hysterical!!:woohoo"( so did Frankie's gay brother & his partner, who are sitting right here next to me, as tired & confused as I am)

Listen, you clearly missed the 2 essential points in my original post which were #1: Debating over semantics is a ridiculous waste of time. And if you're offended by term "bipolars", you are uber-sensitive and clearly nit-picking. #2: Expecting people to refer to us using a method that's different from the one they use for everyone else is MORE STIGMATIZING THAN THE WORD "BIPOLARS"

Post edited by: kimminentdanger, at: 09/02/2008 02:17

Post edited by: kimminentdanger, at: 09/02/2008 02:18

Post edited by: kimminentdanger, at: 09/02/2008 02:18

kimminentdanger wrote:Huh? Really? Are we on the same planet? What is it that you think I said we should just be content with? And not bother doing WHAT???I agree that we should always strive for a better future, and did not, at any time even HINT at anything otherwise. Yes, we are on the same planet, strangely enough. What I was referring to was this

Don't forget: there was a time not too long ago where folks like us weren't even recognized as MEMBERS OF SOCIETY! We were locked up in asylums and left there for years, alone and forgotten. We've come a long way baby! Stop sweating the small stuff... we have way bigger fish to fry.

Which I took as meaning that we shouldn't care about our stigma.Perhaps you should go back and try again. You are WAY OFF BASE HERE PAL, and frankly, I question your motive for responding, since you obviously aren't paying very close attention.Thank you for you kind words. I'll keep them close to my heart.

Post edited by: WanderingCloud, at: 09/02/2008 04:14

Post edited by: WanderingCloud, at: 09/02/2008 04:15

Post edited by: WanderingCloud, at: 09/02/2008 04:15

Get over it.

Please don't be so patronizing. Next time I won't use Please.