I'm not sure what to think about the idea of mad pride. Fighting the stigma associated with mental diseases is great, but convincing people that psychotropic drugs are unnecessary? Not so much. Next month's Bonkersfest (London) sounds like a lot of fun in theory, but then again, it's just not accurate to portray people with serious mental illness as zany, madcap, or eccentric but brilliant. And serious mental illness is not some kind of "mad gift," as the Icarus Project claims. (Serious mental illness as a category comprises schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.)
Mad Pride rides the line between civil rights movements (e.g., feminisms, GLBT rights) and patients rights movements. On the one hand, serious mental illness cannot be cured, only managed, and so I can see why some people would turn it into an identity. On the other hand, I have serious misgivings about putting schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the same identity categories as race, gender, and sexual identity. And to talk about Cancer Pride is nonsensical.
Also, my memories of being deeply depressed are still vivid, and I still don't feel quite like myself. (I might never, now that my mood is controlled.) I would catch myself smiling and feel guilty about that little bit of brightness. Now, that's fucked up.
I don't think I could ever celebrate a disease that includes such utter despair.
2 comments:
It also seems irresponsible to me. I would despair if people without a whole lot of critical introspection took cues from these groups and made bad decisions. "You mean I don't have to take my meds and I can still be a normal, healthy, safe person?" The answer to that should be, "No. You do have to take your meds."
When groups that have been marginalized, mistreated, abused, and could use help from others, the solution should be to break down divisiveness, not build them. The people in MadPride and the Icarus Project should be saying, "WE are a lot more like YOU than you think," and NOT "You are not like US." This gets at your point about patients rights. I'm all for patients' rights, but you can't lock out the people who are there to help.
Besides, Icarus Project? Really? Icarus? Having something of an insider/outsider's understanding of mental illness, I don't think "soaring aloft on wax and hubris " would be a good assessment of what those with mental illness are feeling.
first off - i love how you guys support each other.
second off - i'm with you. it does seem that in this country people struggle with being an individual yet wanted desparately to have an group identity. could this be part of that desire?
last off - i don't see how mad pride is going to help the mental disorders that affect many of the homeless and poor that live on the streets. they need clinical help and having them feel proud of who they are is not going to get them a roof over their heads. i'd love to see more of a focus on that than money spent on a "bonkersfest."
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