You don't have to tell your mum you're a wheelchair user.
'Coming out' as mad. It can't be easy. I have been writing this morning about making reasonable adjustments for disabled people in Higher Education and tied in with that was thinking about whether we see disabled students as students first and then disabled. There is a definite push for this within the current research. It builds on ideas about inclusive cultures and making the education accessible for all and therefore not having to make reasonable adjustments for individuals. It makes sense when you think about it. Let us have an education that the majority of people can access, rather than an elite system that excludes people not because of their ability to learn, but rather their ability to engage with a curriculum that excludes them because of discriminatory practice.
This led to me thinking about how we would know people were disabled if their conditions weren't physically apparent. Would we need to? Is there a sense of wanting to define as a disabled person because there is a sense of pride about it? I am running cras parallels with the gay community, but it is similar. No one needs to know you are gay (except perhaps your partner) but people are proud to come out and there is a political gain in doing so. Is it the same within the disabled community? Am I perhaps over simplifying?
This has really got me thinking about this idea of people/students with mental health issues constantly having to 'come out' in order to exist. If in order to exist and make noise about your experience you have to keep telling people what does this do to your identity? Does 'coming out' make it a bigger part of you than you would like it to be?
Whatever the motivation and overall result surely single instances of revealing the personal about yourself to colleagues, family and friends never gets any easier, especially when reactions are often of stepping back, reassessing you and never allowing you to mention it again.
I don't know about physical disabilities, not being at all qualified to comment, but I fail to see anything about or within depression / poor mental health to be proud of. Being gay makes very little change to my day to life, other than who I view as being sexually appealing, whereas a bad day with depression can - and does - have a negative impact on every aspect of my life, from socialising to basic hygiene and what I eat.
ReplyDeleteGay pride is more than equality and acceptance, it's a celebration of love, when you think about it. The freedom to love and be loved.
As much as we need to challenge and put an end to discrimination and stigma when it comes to all disabilities, especially mental health, the thought of being proud of being ill makes me feel extremely uncomfortable - which possibly makes it different to physical disabilities that aren't debilitating and do not prevent one from leading a full and happy life.
I don't think people are aware enough or understand enough about mental illness for there to be a gain or a pride in defining yourself as such. Being the token lesbian or being the token dyslexic can be advantagous in all honesty, if only to put you on a level playing field with others (i'm refering specifically to work). However, being depressive or I imagine any other mental illness or personality disorder does not. We are yet to tick boxes about it on application forms! I think the stigma is too great and understanding too limited for people to feel any pride in their mental illness. Is it possible in the future though?
ReplyDeleteI have an unseen disability which I rarely disclose - why? because when I have some people have treated me differently which I hate, and mainly because people forget the very next day anyway as I look so 'normal', so I don't see the point in all honesty. People always remember you're gay.
ReplyDeleteThese are really interesting comments which I welcome. I have had several discussions with other people who have experience of mental ill health today and opinion does seem to be divided. One person felt very strongly that their mental ill health was nothing to be proud of and that they would never see it as such, in fact they said almost word for word what you have expressed Jo. Another has said that they would like to see it as something to be proud of but other people's perceptions of it prevent this.
ReplyDeleteI think the disability movement has shared things with other political movements such as feminism, gay rights, and various moves to challenge racism, however it seems to be far more complex in this area. When it comes to mental health or other 'hidden disabilities' or medical conditions it becomes even more so.
I am particularly interested by the last comment that people will forget what they have been told by an individual about their disability - how does that make you feel? And yes people will always remember you are gay because as a general rule populations are obsessed with who we take to bed!