In Search of a Non-stigmatizing Diagnosis

People make fun of anything and everything...cancer, aides, starving children in africa. There seems to be no limit, it's very sad. And honeslty people justify makeing these statements "oh I am only jokeing" as if that were 100% true. You know if they didn't kinda think it was funny or entertaining in some way the jokes wouldn't be there. I can't imagine laughing at any of this stuff, then again I don't think laughing at others suffering is funny , cute or entertaining. Speaks of their integrity more than their sense of humor.

I'm one of those people that will make jokes about anything. There isn't anything or anyone who is immune to a joke. You won't think it a good explanation and may not get it but, humor isn't necessarily positive. Laughter doesn't erupt from a peaceful place. It's an odd thing.

I don't think that the way schizophrenia and autism is portrayed in the media is at all positive and actually perpetuates stigma.

I love comedians. My fav is Bill Burr he is funny as he'll.

yes, what I meant was being stigmatized as a "fake" illness. I should have been more clear. Sorry

All of our illnesses have their own stigma. Like 'crazy' and 'violent' and things like that.

I have posted about it already. In my experience, around where I live, depression and anxiety are not stigmatized any more. they are the new norm.

No..I think I do get it. I didn't say I don't think it's a good explanation..I said it is not an honest one. If one makes fun of others sufferring and tries to make it funny to poke fun at them and then claims they do care something isn't lining up. Actions are not meeting words.. And seriously no, what you are claiming is not what we are talking about. That might be the case sometimes, majority of the time? Doubtfully.

Besides that, you talk about passive aggressivly torturing your friend for a few months and seem amused by that kind of thing. You speak of revenge, actually many times you have talked about doing stuff like this here. That said, I don't think we will agree on this stuff and we don't have to.

I think it is important to be able to laugh at yourself. Like, to make jokes even in the face of things that aren't funny.

There is a difference between making jokes and humor vs. making fun of something. A good example is a while back one of the members made a "bipolar online quiz" that was funny. Like it had all of the questions you'd take on the online quiz like here at PC, but then it had funny example. Like I remember one was something like: "and when I say it caused you problems, like getting thrown out of Disney Land." It was pretty hilarious and fun. That's finding humor.

Making fun is when someone who obviously doesn't understand is making jokes at the expense of those who are struggling. Like those comedians saying "everyone has bipolar now. Today I am happy, but yesterday I was sad. I must have bipolar."

I find ignorant people romantacize bipolar whether they know it or not.

I have a few friends who are seemingly envious of my dx because somehow I am not this awesomely intelligent, creative, funny and unpredictable woman. Its impossible to be so awesome! It must be my bipolarness!

Also these very people 'feel' bipolar at times, and 'understand'.... LOL LOL LOL

I dont take offense though, they're not mean just ignorant and everyone wants the spotlight at some point. According to those closest to me, I've been hogging it my whole life, apparantly whether I ask for it or not.

So I let em be

Idk if what I said is relevent to this thread topic...
Its 2am, been up and about for 20hrs, so attention span is not at 100% capacity.

Also wanted to add that where humour is concerned, generally speaking there are 2 types of people, those who take offense, and those who dont.

I'm in the second catagory as long as we stick to South Park's golden rule: You can only make a funny of a serious, sensitive issue if said issue is older than 7yrs!

Laughter is good, its natural, and dammit if I dont laugh I may just sob.

@Anika I know you meant making fun of someone at their (rather large) expense.
My reply was not a direct response to your comment, just clearing that up

Humor is a great healer. Laughter heals things. It lowers blood presure, it lowers blood glucose, it opens up the lungs, the fills the happy sensors in the brain, it releases us from stress. Laughter is like magic. That's why I recommend watching funny things when depressed, even if you can't laugh.

There is nothing wrong with laughing, and you guys know I post some ridiculous stuff and have the ability to laugh at myself a lot. There is just so much stuff to laugh at in life doing it at others suffering doesn't seem healing. If a comedian is really funny they don't have to resort to it. It's like cheap shots when someone can't make a good argument, cheap jokes when they can't think of anything else. Its like saying I am confident about myself and in the next sentence putting someone else down.

South park is a little different sometimes. Sometimes they are actually trying to make a point. Other times they are pointing out social constructs and exagerating them to make is ovbiously ridiculous. And sometimes they are just being cheap.

Don't have to hurt others to have a good time basically sums up how I feel about it.

There have been some really interesting replies here, thanks guys! (although I think we've vered a bit off-topic with the making fun/comedy issues ).

Again, not talking about people who fake it for whatever reason, referring to people who are truly suffering, are looking for a reason for it, and for some reason vear towards the Bipolar diagnosis -oftentimes based on misinformation. I guess I've gotten my answers: romanticizing, ignorance of what the experience is really about, etc. Any other thoughts? Do you think for example that people seek out say an MDD diagnosis to the same extent as Bipolar? I mean I don't see people asking if x and y symptoms mean that they are MDD, just don't see it. Although maybe it's because Bipolar is so complex and can mimic so many other things -it's a tough one to parse out. Rambling and thinking aloud here...

I'm bringing this up in part I think because when I sense others romanticizing it and misunderstanding it, it feels invalidating to me, to what I experience. If it's a "fashionable" diagnosis then maybe -on paper- it loses some meaning, or at least to some people. I don't know if I'm making sense here...

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Yes, laughter provides for the release of unconscious anxiety or
aggressions.

That's one (stigma, that is) that I fear and try never to make fun of anyone because of knowing that what we do to others, we also do to ourselves.

And when and if we ever demean another person, it records itself in the unconscious mind without exception and causes one to despise oneself.

Can you even imagine what the minds of those who hold stigmas must be like? God save us from that!