Hi,.
I'm not sure if it was your intention_not_to forward this message to
the list, but I've taken the luxury of fowarding it anyways. It saves
me the trouble repeating the same thing 5 or 6 times. I removed
your name in case you wanted remain anonymous.
******************************************************************************
Someome on the list wrote:
> I do not understand why 'mental illness' is placed in quotes in the email
> below. Are you saying that there is no such thing as a mental illness?
>
> I have been interviewing women with a broad range of disabilities (physical,
> sensory, intellectual and mental) recently. Amongst all of these women, I have
> spoken with many who are dealing with mental illnesses or with brain injuries
> (and many brain injuries have similar effects to many mental disabilities - >>>>
David's response:
The 'causes' are different (i write causes in quotations sicne there
is little factual basis to support that idea that so-called psychiatric
disorders are 'illnesses')
> forgetfulness, depression, lack of focus, inability to coordinate and organize,
> social 'deficits' - and in this email I do mean to use these quotation marks).
> I would say that these women are also dealing with more deleterious social
> aspects of disability than I would ever have imagined prior to hearing their
> stories. Mental illness has cost these women their marriages, their homes,
> their socioeconomic status, their jobs, their relationships, and in many cases,
> their children. Mental illness has also, because of its deligitimated status,
> caused these women social isolation from disability activist groups, and from
> the social safety net, such as it is. In short, mental illness and brain
> injuries, in my view, hardly seem like privilege.>>>>
David's response:
Mental so-called illness and brain damage are distinguishable.
There are certainly brain illnesses (such as Alzeimer), and then
there is clinical depression, OC so-called D, manic depression,
etc. People with the latter 'ailments' are not sick, in the sence in
having something psysiologically wrong with them. You don't die
from OCD, manic depression, or scizophrenia. This is not to say
that the poeple experiencing these 'problems' aren't in a fair amount
of distress. But it certainly not like Alzeimers which will eventually
kill you.
>
> Some of the examples provided below also seem more in keeping with what, in
> North America, is refered to as Learning Disabilities (as opposed to the UK
> term), which share the same privileged grey zone as mental illnesses, i.e.,
> these are deligitimated categories of difference. I teach at a university and
> have had several students with such challenges. >>>>
David's response:
I would say challenges is in more appropriate term to use in
reference to these behaviours than 'illness'.
[...] (Part of the message deleted so not to reveal the identify of
the writer)
Again, I see that many of these young
> people do NOT 'play the disability card'. Instead, from shame and undoubtedly
> from prior experiences with cruel and judgemental 'helping professionals'
> (again, quotes intended), they seem to have learned that there is little value
> and often considerable cost to asking for accommodation.>>>>
David's response:
Here I totally agree with you, and with my previous post, I wasn't
attempting minimize these problems. I was trying to show -
(perhaps in too roundabout a way) how people may 'take
advantage' of certain perks in the system to get ahead.
Unfortunatley it is nature of the system that ascribes certains
groups with privileges from the get-go, which then pushes others to
play 'catch up' in order to survive. Sometimes the reasons for
someoene with invisible disability using a medical exuse are quite
legimiate. Other times, not. The problem for me -- as I believe it
was Hiliary who touched upon, and you allude to-- is that it is
double edged sword for the individual. When you 'come out' with
your mental disability, it may help you some to acheive certain
things , yet it may also, in the end, come back to haunt you. For
instance, acknowledging to your boss that your "manic depressive
illness" prevented you from performing to your optimum ability on
some task you were assigned could lead to your work load being
eased or it could get you fired.
Obsessive compulsive behaviours can seriously impair someone's
ability to complete tasks within a 'reasonable' time. So I wouldn't
blame someone with OCD for using a medical exuse to, say, get
an extension for an assignment if it meant getting a better grade.
At the same time, I'm sure there is quite a number of so-called
'normal' students facing similar difficulties in school, yet who aren't
afforded the similar 'luxury' of claiming illness prevented them
performing to their optimal level. Also, once you 'come out' with
your so-called illness, people are likely to judge you differently. It is
be expected since, as your label suggests, you are sick, which
people automatically presume results in some cognitive deficiency.
I've experienced this my whole life, so I'm not just speaking in
abstractions.
Perhaps an advantage of having a physical impairment over a
mental is that you're intelligence isn't *necessarily* brought into
question.
>
> Finally, point number 4, below, is a charge that can be levelled against
> individuals with ANY kind of disability. Beware of what you say - you may
> recall the old adage about the Nazis, who came first for the Gypsys, and we did
> nothing because that didn't apply to us, then the Homosexuals, then the Jews.
> Well, you get my drift. I think solidarity and compassion might be more
> politically and humanistacally valuable than distancing one's self from 'bad
> crips' because it makes one feel somehow safer or more deserving.
David's response:
I don't see the analogy. Although I'm writing this on a couple
hours sleep.
best,
David
> >***************************************************************************
> > I can think a few stereotypical examples of a 'mental illness'
> > being used as 'crutch' to ' get ahead' (although I don't know if "
> > privilege " is the right word to describe this).
> >
> > 1) You're taking a difficult class in university and are unable to
> > finish an assignment. You ask the instructor for an extension,
> > citing your disability as the consideration -- ie., high anxiety, OCD,
> > depression.
> >
> > 2) You're applying to a competive LAW school -- haven't got high
> > enough LSAT scores to get in through the regular stream, so you
> > claim a mental disability has prevented you from performing to your
> > ability on the LSAT and apply in an alternative stream (with a less
> > competitive pool of students to compete against)
> >
> > 3) You have the usual deadlines to meet at work. To avoid the
> > heavy load, you claim that your "mental illness" (disability)
> > prevents you from taking on too many tasks at one time. You cite
> > the "fact" that stress often precipates mental disorders).
> >
> > 4) You mention that you have a disability in your application for a
> > government job. There is quota set for the number of disabled
> > people to be hired and as a result you are selected for the position.
> >
> >
> >
> > DOQ
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