The Romantacization of Mental Illness and Victim Culture

[Aevisia]

Anyone else kind of feel like the last 4-5 years or so, society has shifted to romanticizing mental illness/disorders? I feel like it goes hand in hand with the romanticizing of victim culture, like it's trendy to be a victim of something, and it seems like the romanticizing of mental illnesses and disorders has become a sort of trendy sub-culture of victim culture. Everyone now wants to have a mental illness, everyone now wants to be disabled, everyone now wants to be a victim of something, and it's proudly paraded around everywhere. Heck, there have been cases where non-disabled people on tiktok have been outed for pretending to be disabled for attention. Faking tourette tics is a common one creators on Tiktok like to fake.


Another example, scrolling through social media feeds like FB or IG 'reels', I'm sure Tiktok as well, I'll come across videos of people making relatable posts of something most people generally do, like have a junk drawer or junk box of random stuff they're just too lazy to put away, and they attribute that specific behavior to being a silly quirky thing that's specific to people with ADHD. Now a bunch of people in the comments section think it's funny and are convinced they have ADHD because they do that super common thing. Or I'll visit someone's profile and their entire bio is listing off all their different mental disorders, victim culture identities, etc.


Anyways, it got me thinking, what is with the obsession of victim culture? Why has it become such a massive part of people's identities that it's gotten to the point of romantacization, and isn't it unhealthy to be romanticizing it? Also, can't some of these things be social contagions? The mind is a powerful thing, and if you believe something enough about yourself it is possible for it to manifest and convince yourself you truly have that thing. It's the opposite of the placebo effect, called the 'nocebo effect'.


Anyways, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic. Do you think this is a current issue in society? How big of a role do you think social media plays in propagating and progressing this behavior? What do you think about our collective mental health situation? Is the romanticizing of mental illness and victim culture causing more harm than good? Where do you think this will take our society in the next 5-10 years?

 

[赤い男]

Anyone else kind of feel like the last 4-5 years or so, society has shifted to romanticizing mental illness/disorders?

This is a classic example of the side effects of normalization. Society is beginning to integrate neurodiversity more openly, as my mom once (in a conversation similar to this) said, 'It's not that there are more cases, but rather that it's becoming accepted, and people are starting to openly acknowledge and embrace it. In the past, it was a topic that went largely unspoken due to stigma.' Her observation is accurate; over the past decade, a surge of new studies and advancements in understanding neurodiversity and other psychological concepts has paved the way for a better grasp of these conditions and, by extension, ourselves. Making us more open about the topic.

However, when something becomes normalized, it often reaches a point where everyone wants to be part of it. This is not only a sign of societal progress, but also an opportunity for individuals to gain social acceptance and recognition. Consequently, some may strive to integrate themselves into these movements to enhance their public image. But to be honest, is really nothing new under the sun

As a neurodivergent person (STPD/OCD/ADHD, medically diagnosed and medicated), I am grateful that neurodiversity is becoming more commonplace and positively represented in various contexts, such as in stories and media. This can lead to a broader understanding and appreciation. However, it's crucial that representation is accurate and responsible; poor representation can perpetuate misinformation, ignorance, and setback our progress.

Eventually, the initial excitement will subside, and people will move on to romanticizing other topics. Nonetheless, the progress we've made so far is noteworthy

 

[赤い男]

If i'm being honest, i feel safer talking to a neurodivergent person than neurotypical, because there is at least certain ground of understanding.

 

[sinaptica]

I think it's just another drop in the ocean of herd manipulation. The propagation of victim mentality is just part of something bigger.

The majority of the people living in the 'developed world' countries are inhabiting a fantasy world.

They are completely detached from the natural laws: they have no idea what hunger, disease and rampant death looks like. They never experienced being brutalized and/or truly oppressed. There has been no need for that because ignorance and entitlement is widespread, normalized, embraced... They have been harvested to be like this. Profoundly mediocre. Easy to manipulate.

I think they are not consciously aware, but their subconscious is.

Their jobs are fake, their money is fake, their beliefs are fake, even their desires are not their own.
They don't know why they think like they do, FFS

I see their behavior closer to that of an insect or a bot. Can you even call them human anymore? It is only normal they are unwell.

They are effectively powerless, without real purpose. And the natural frustration that develops subconsciously can be greatly exploited by their masters. All that diffuse anger/anxiety can be directed easily.

Do you want to get ostracized? There's no better way to achieve this than speaking about these topics in a social setting, pointing to these problems, dissecting the matter, providing solid argumentation when challenged. You'll quickly see the general mood changing, and their faces and reactions will be all you need as proof to understand the truth. Mirrors are the most terrible weapons you can use today.

You will be able to experience in first person how does it feel to be the guy that go back inside Plato's cavern to try and convince the other folks to go outside with you. In the same manner, the crowd will try to (metaphorically) kill you.

There's no reason for the state to exist if people live in peace and happy with their lives. Thus, constant conflict needs to be manufactured and injected into the people's mind so the status-quo can go on. If you don't have enemies, they'll provide those for you. Are you a sane individual? Nope, that's not good for us.

There's a problem though, it is a never ending escalation until it reaches the breaking point and there's some sort of reset.

Social media is the current channel/amplifier used to roll out the psy-ops.

You need to look way back, 4–5 years is just the top of the iceberg, the current situation has its direct roots post WWII.

But it's true that as we approach the turning point, as the escalation continues, things will distort more and more.

It is also true that current technology is accelerating the process to a point in which it is easily observable, there's almost no recovery period between crisis anymore.

The pace is becoming unbearable, the absurd the normal, and the sane a minority in an increasingly crazed world.

I realize I diverged a little about the concrete topic and that all I say sounds a little schizo, but it's not, and it is related.

The bottom line is: They'll break your legs (or mind) and later they'll sell you the crutches, only after they have vampirized your energies.

 

[Aevisia]

I think it's just another drop in the ocean of herd manipulation. The propagation of victim mentality is just part of something bigger.

The majority of the people living in the 'developed world' countries are inhabiting a fantasy world.

They are completely detached from the natural laws: they have no idea what hunger, disease and rampant death looks like. They never experienced being brutalized and/or truly oppressed. There has been no need for that because ignorance and entitlement is widespread, normalized, embraced... They have been harvested to be like this. Profoundly mediocre. Easy to manipulate.

I think they are not consciously aware, but their subconscious is.

Their jobs are fake, their money is fake, their beliefs are fake, even their desires are not their own.
They don't know why they think like they do, FFS

I see their behavior closer to that of an insect or a bot. Can you even call them human anymore? It is only normal they are unwell.

They are effectively powerless, without real purpose. And the natural frustration that develops subconsciously can be greatly exploited by their masters. All that diffuse anger/anxiety can be directed easily.

Do you want to get ostracized? There's no better way to achieve this than speaking about these topics in a social setting, pointing to these problems, dissecting the matter, providing solid argumentation when challenged. You'll quickly see the general mood changing, and their faces and reactions will be all you need as proof to understand the truth. Mirrors are the most terrible weapons you can use today.

You will be able to experience in first person how does it feel to be the guy that go back inside Plato's cavern to try and convince the other folks to go outside with you. In the same manner, the crowd will try to (metaphorically) kill you.

There's no reason for the state to exist if people live in peace and happy with their lives. Thus, constant conflict needs to be manufactured and injected into the people's mind so the status-quo can go on. If you don't have enemies, they'll provide those for you. Are you a sane individual? Nope, that's not good for us.

There's a problem though, it is a never ending escalation until it reaches the breaking point and there's some sort of reset.

Social media is the current channel/amplifier used to roll out the psy-ops.

You need to look way back, 4–5 years is just the top of the iceberg, the current situation has its direct roots post WWII.

But it's true that as we approach the turning point, as the escalation continues, things will distort more and more.

It is also true that current technology is accelerating the process to a point in which it is easily observable, there's almost no recovery period between crisis anymore.

The pace is becoming unbearable, the absurd the normal, and the sane a minority in an increasingly crazed world.

I realize I diverged a little about the concrete topic and that all I say sounds a little schizo, but it's not, and it is related.

The bottom line is: They'll break your legs (or mind) and later they'll sell you the crutches, only after they have vampirized your energies.

Yeah, I have no doubt it goes back that far. Maybe even further. I agree, there's definitely more at play than just the mental health stuff, and while I'm thankful I never had to experience war, starvation, etc up close and personal, I know the sense you're talking about where deep down we know things are not quite right. Some are conscious of it, some it's more subconscious. I felt it even more amplified when I went to the US years ago (I live in Canada). It's hard to explain without sounding like a lunatic, but I remember thinking things felt really fake there. Not sure how to better describe it. But it feels like so much of western society is meant to weaken our minds and crush our human spirits. Maybe not the same way war and starvation does in other countries but, it's everything from the chemicals in the food we eat, the chemicals in the water we drink, the chemicals in the air we breathe, the way the education system is designed, and all to become a wage slave working two jobs just to barely get by (even worse now with skyrocketing inflation - Canada is becoming a nightmare in that sense). What I paid for rent in a nice one bedroom apartment 10 years is how much people pay for a single room in a shared apartment today living with roommates. But over the course of the last 4-5 years everything seems like it's really spiraling at an accelerated pace. Even the division tactics are noticeable that they're division tactics. Battle of the sexes, battle of the races, Isreal vs Palestine, Ukraine vs Russia, everybody pick a side pick a side, left vs. right, the list goes on. Once you see it you can't unsee it. Once you start hearing certain phrases purposely played on repetition and can pick it out, the illusion shatters: 'new normal', 'in these unprecedented times', etc. You start noticing radio stations, TV, social media outlets harping the exact same key phrases everywhere over and over at the same time, it's truly a wonder that in itself doesn't strike as odd to everyone. Once you see it and realize what's happening, you can't unsee it. I'm sure I sound schizo right along with you lol. But sometimes I hope asking questions about these things gets folks to really think about it and come to their own conclusions and realizations. Asking questions helps I think.

Getting back on the topic though of romanticizing the deterioration of mental health, where do you see this particular aspect taking society in the next 5-10 years?

 

[Some_porcupine]

Yes!
Tho I feel like this thread is copy of some another...

edit: sure it is! it is in like every second, every 1.5th post, that We got it over, one way or another!...

Also I talk about this fakery (jobs, money, society...) In my Young people are giving up Thread, so I or you may relink it here or there or both.
While it is bad and we can say it is true, what to do, Retvrn? But what to. If it has come to this, then doesn't it mean this fakery goes since forever, always has been?
If we, you win this fight , how to not this repeat again and again, forever, the same struggle? Only by Infinite set revolutions in culture etc!?
I made similar post for May Agora (I. of II) Blogging/Travelogue, it is scary that this happened twice, but not that really - even YouTube, as you say, with all yappers, try to push only what is popular to watch , the ...the kids saying It is over - over and over. You see one video and then you are pushed into breadtube leftypol, or tatemates (Rogan, Tate, Jordan)...
What to do. Destroy society unless it become too big to grasp with our heads? (Alan Watts was afraid so, that by 2016, it would be impossible to get by the world we designed is)
Trapped in our own creation. Is this how God feels???

 

[silktrader]

Anyways, it got me thinking, what is with the obsession of victim culture?

easier to be a victim than genuinely admit theres something wrong with them and strive to fix it. even the first part is a hurdle for many. self-deprecation does not count, its a twisted form of selfishness and attention-seeking instead of introspection.

Why has it become such a massive part of people's identities that it's gotten to the point of romantacization, and isn't it unhealthy to be romanticizing it?

its easier. and they see the pretty people on SM do it too so why not?

The mind is a powerful thing, and if you believe something enough about yourself it is possible for it to manifest and convince yourself you truly have that thing. It's the opposite of the placebo effect, called the 'nocebo effect'.

we've gone full circle and seen how retarded this kind of charade is. nowadays everyones talking about the internet isnt the real world and its all fake and you should touch grass and get bitches and yada yada. those same people will then continue to doomscroll on twitter for hours on end after saying this but hey thats just part of their ironic persona.

Do you think this is a current issue in society? How big of a role do you think social media plays in propagating and progressing this behavior? What do you think about our collective mental health situation? Is the romanticizing of mental illness and victim culture causing more harm than good? Where do you think this will take our society in the next 5-10 years?

itll phase out and people will move on to something else. 90% of these people dont have actual issues theyre just young idiots. maybe when they fuck off the field of psychology could shift back to helping people with real problems (learning disabilities, phobias, PTSD, ACTUAL chronic anxiety and depression and adhd, life ruining compulsions, etc.) instead of this sick joke of "lets indulge/take advantage of these braindead jackasses."

 

[tygers99]

JOIN THE NEXT BIG WAVE SWEEPING THE NATION!

MENTAL ILLNESSES ARE BACK, BABY, AND IT'S BETTER THAN EVER TO HAVE THEM!

SO DUST THEM OFF, AND BRING EM OUT! DON'T HAVE ONE? DON'T WORRY! CHECK YOUR LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA, AND HAVE A PEEK!

YOU ARE MISSING OUT FROM MISSING OUT!

DON'T FORGET, ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE DOING IT! IT'S THE BEST THING SINCE FREE CRACK!

In all honesty, I feel bad for the people with real illnesses who are actually struggling, becuase now nobody will take them seriously. But for people who fake it, they just want to fit in. It's a shame really, that people feel the need to fit the mold. (As far as I'm aware, I don't have any mental illnesses) Hopefully this all goes away soon, and people can find something else to romantasize. Hope that everyone who really needs the help can get it.

 

[big_ping07]

i don't have the capacity to fully divulge at the moment, but here are my initial thoughts:

people pretending to be mentally ill... are mentally ill. it is not "normal" to find mental illness quirky and funny. it seems as time goes on, humans are being "improperly" socialized. the realities of our young are so engrained in the web, that it's getting harder for them to grasp the consequences and... realities (for lack of a better term sorry brain dead rn) of the physical realm.
also, if you're bringing up tiktok, most of these people are young. like really fucking young (and i think their brains are even younger because the teens i've seen around the internet lately have the mentality that i had when i was ~11). it's most likely a phase for them to think it's cool to have a mental illness. it's just copium until they're grown and able to admit something is wrong and subsequently reach out for help.
and what are they coping for? despair maybe? the vast amounts of information these kids have access to while doomscrolling is fucking with their minds and making them lose hope and sanity. and since all their peers are doing it, they think it's normal and don't stop.
our fleshrealm communities have been dying. people have nowhere to turn. and if someone does turn anywhere, they aren't met with the support they need. they're likely bullied, patronized, or enabled by their "help." they get in their heads and allow the nonsense to take hold.

they may be romanticizing it, but that's because they're hurting. they ARE victims of a system that seems like it would rather them dead or at least perpetually confused. there isn't anything swag about it though. it's sad. it's fucked up. i'd tell them to touch grass but that's cope too.

 

[Some_porcupine]

and what are they coping for? despair maybe? the vast amounts of information these kids have access to while doomscrolling is fucking with their minds and making them lose hope and sanity. and since all their peers are doing it, they think it's normal and don't stop.
our fleshrealm communities have been dying. people have nowhere to turn. and if someone does turn anywhere, they aren't met with the support they need. their likely bullied, patronized, or enabled by their "help." they get in their heads and allow the nonsense to take hold.

they may be romanticizing it, but that's because they're hurting. they ARE victims of a system that seems like it would rather them dead or at least perpetually confused. there isn't anything swag about it though. it's sad. it's fucked up. i'd tell them to touch grass but that's cope too.

fuck you might be right
like, making money from confussion (var. courses, self-help, etc.)
no_chill would say it is the jews
as for me, idk, is there even start to this, or it is just what happens when you let whole world fall on ones mind?

 

[Some_porcupine]

Yes!
Tho I feel like this thread is copy of some another...

edit: sure it is! it is in like every second, every 1.5th post, that We got it over, one way or another!...

Also I talk about this fakery (jobs, money, society...) In my Young people are giving up Thread, so I or you may relink it here or there or both.
While it is bad and we can say it is true, what to do, Retvrn? But what to. If it has come to this, then doesn't it mean this fakery goes since forever, always has been?
If we, you win this fight , how to not this repeat again and again, forever, the same struggle? Only by Infinite set revolutions in culture etc!?
I made similar post for May Agora (I. of II) Blogging/Travelogue, it is scary that this happened twice, but not that really - even YouTube, as you say, with all yappers, try to push only what is popular to watch , the ...the kids saying It is over - over and over. You see one video and then you are pushed into breadtube leftypol, or tatemates (Rogan, Tate, Jordan)...

1/02, 2/5/2
Agora road travelogue - May, I.
Non-critical Critizeurs

What to do. Destroy society unless it become too big to grasp with our heads? (Alan Watts was afraid so, that by 2016, it would be impossible to get by the world we designed is)
Trapped in our own creation. Is this how God feels???

kudos to https://forum.agoraroad.com/index.php?goto/post&id=109832 post

 

[ApexSeraphim]

Anyone else kind of feel like the last 4-5 years or so, society has shifted to romanticizing mental illness/disorders? I feel like it goes hand in hand with the romanticizing of victim culture, like it's trendy to be a victim of something, and it seems like the romanticizing of mental illnesses and disorders has become a sort of trendy sub-culture of victim culture. Everyone now wants to have a mental illness, everyone now wants to be disabled, everyone now wants to be a victim of something, and it's proudly paraded around everywhere. Heck, there have been cases where non-disabled people on tiktok have been outed for pretending to be disabled for attention. Faking tourette tics is a common one creators on Tiktok like to fake.


Another example, scrolling through social media feeds like FB or IG 'reels', I'm sure Tiktok as well, I'll come across videos of people making relatable posts of something most people generally do, like have a junk drawer or junk box of random stuff they're just too lazy to put away, and they attribute that specific behavior to being a silly quirky thing that's specific to people with ADHD. Now a bunch of people in the comments section think it's funny and are convinced they have ADHD because they do that super common thing. Or I'll visit someone's profile and their entire bio is listing off all their different mental disorders, victim culture identities, etc.


Anyways, it got me thinking, what is with the obsession of victim culture? Why has it become such a massive part of people's identities that it's gotten to the point of romantacization, and isn't it unhealthy to be romanticizing it? Also, can't some of these things be social contagions? The mind is a powerful thing, and if you believe something enough about yourself it is possible for it to manifest and convince yourself you truly have that thing. It's the opposite of the placebo effect, called the 'nocebo effect'.


Anyways, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic. Do you think this is a current issue in society? How big of a role do you think social media plays in propagating and progressing this behavior? What do you think about our collective mental health situation? Is the romanticizing of mental illness and victim culture causing more harm than good? Where do you think this will take our society in the next 5-10 years?

Honestly as someone with Diagnosed ASD Myself i find it genuinely concerning, a lot of the times when im on instagram for example i see a post with a caption like "Meds will ruin your brain" with the cat in the hat it was broken when she got it sound for example and it always just concerned me, im glad people are becoming more accepting of autistic folks but there honestly needs to be a drawn line between acceptance and overly glorifying this shit

this progressive shit is going a bit too far in my opinion, i see soo many posts on social media and shit glorifying mental illnesses (like autism, gender dysphoria, schizophrenia, etc, etc) that just treat it like its some silly quirk when its not

 

[Raz]

First noticed this on Tumblr in like 2013... it's spread far and wide since.

I think you're right... it's the new subculture(s).

 

[ApexSeraphim]

First noticed this on Tumblr in like 2013... it's spread far and wide since.

I think you're right... it's the new subculture(s).

can you even call it new sub culture at this point? if you look at Bronies, Anime lovers, and geeky shit in general like World Of Warcraft, call of duty, each of them had their own unique vibe and stuff but take present day shit like idk demon slayer or even berserk they all follow the same format and speech style none of the sub cultures you see on the internet is original anymore its either a bunch of softies who get offened at everything or its those clout chaser type people that spam nerd emojis and skull emojis and say bro every other second

 

[Some_porcupine]

we've gone full circle and seen how retarded this kind of charade is. nowadays everyones talking about the internet isnt the real world and its all fake and you should touch grass and get bitches and yada yada. those same people will then continue to doomscroll on twitter for hours on end after saying this but hey thats just part of their ironic persona.

And then, I heard yappers say so on real world, yap on internet how all Our systems are Fake

 

[Rübezahl]

I blame individualism.
Social media is one of those places where everyone leeches onto everything.
There are people who really like to attach the word Neet or -cel to them for whatever reason yet are some normal person who still goes to school

 

[Some_porcupine]

I blame individualism.
Social media is one of those places where everyone leeches onto everything.
There are people who really like to attach the word Neet or -cel to them for whatever reason yet are some normal person who still goes to school

Yes
It is like we had no future, choice, and just look for it to rumble down, if we can't, aren't allowed to help each other, then what to do but this...

 

[4d1]

scrolling through social media feeds like FB or IG 'reels', I'm sure Tiktok as well, I'll come across videos of people making relatable posts of something most people generally do, like have a junk drawer or junk box of random stuff they're just too lazy to put away, and they attribute that specific behavior to being a silly quirky thing that's specific to people with ADHD

THIS. THANK YOU.

I have been saying this for ages since high school where they would do assembly presentations on "mental wellbeing", and I would always dismiss it as this.

More often than not modern mental illness is due to society making people so hyperfocused on abstract ideas and goals whilst making them devolve into obsessive and egotistic individualism that they end up in a constant state of distress and discomfort. And as you say, social media just propagates and propagates these ideas over and over until people start believing it because it's quirky and funny and relatable and people with high social status online say it.

It genuinely annoys me because I know people who are like this, and I know people who are genuinely mentally ill and they are never that quirky or ignorant. They have genuine issues that get negated because ✨Emily✨ (she/her) wants to feel special and included by saying she is OCD/bipolar/whatever, whilst John over here suffers from emotional dysfunction and OCD/bipolar/whatever from a childhood of being beat and bullied which leads to him wanting control over his own life and keep a routine that gives him some kind of agency over himself.

It really grinds my gears lol

 

[4d1]

people pretending to be mentally ill... are mentally ill. it is not "normal" to find mental illness quirky and funny. it seems as time goes on, humans are being "improperly" socialized. the realities of our young are so engrained in the web, that it's getting harder for them to grasp the consequences and... realities (for lack of a better term sorry brain dead rn) of the physical realm.

Imo it's exactly this. "Real life" isn't even a thing anymore for people to base a "normal" off of. It's not like before where someone would obviously be different and "mentally ill". Nowadays it's widespread hysteria and psychosis because of the 'net frying people's brains. Which then brings up the whole other discussion about "what even classifies mental illness anymore?" which has already been said many times here.

But I definitely think not having a framework to base "normal" off of also plays a role in this. Progressives think that taking down religion or pre-existing social roles helps (which sure, some are definitely outdated by logical standards), but it means everyone just fumbles around with no clear thing to keep them centred, which leads them to all just latch on to stuff that makes them feel good about themselves and accepted (in today's case, being a "victim" who needs "support")

 

[4d1]

The majority of the people living in the 'developed world' countries are inhabiting a fantasy world.

They are completely detached from the natural laws: they have no idea what hunger, disease and rampant death looks like. They never experienced being brutalized and/or truly oppressed. There has been no need for that because ignorance and entitlement is widespread, normalized, embraced... They have been harvested to be like this. Profoundly mediocre. Easy to manipulate.

Sounds like what a guy I met on a plane once told me