Whelmed

by Rachael Elliott Fight the Normal Dave Snell

The smarter you are the more likely you are to struggle with your mental health. I dunno whether that makes y’all more or less likely to hit the skids to be honest. You did make Today a psychologist told me that dressing it into uni, but then you actually chose to strange was a symptom of a ‘schizoid’ come here when higher education is the personality. biggest money-making scam the boomers managed since the housing crisis so… Jury’s When I was at University, I had a mohawk a out. foot tall, jeans that were so torn you could clearly see my undies, and I walked around Recent stats from the NZ Health survey with no shoes. At a friend’s wedding, the reported that women aged 15-24 were bridal party wore Chucks. At my father in experiencing anxiety and depression at law’s funeral, there were more hippy vests double the rate of men the same age, and and velvet dresses than at a Grateful Dead Māori youth are 1.5 times more likely to concert. have a diagnosis of anxiety disorder than non-Māori. Our trans, non-binary, gender Are we schizophrenics? Possibly. But it queer, and takatāpui whānau are even more brought me in a roundabout way to thinking marginalised, so they’re even deeper in the about what is normal and how we target hole. those who don’t conform as being abnormal or ill. Some psychology will tell you that So don’t try and tell me that there isn’t a this need to dress differently is histrionic. societally constructed, gender specific, The unhealthy need to be the centre of kyriarchal component to our mental health attention. Sadly, this type of psychology crisis. The effect of gender-roles and the will tell you women need more attention negative experiences of these throughout and are more histrionic than men. I keep your life, often starting before you even wanting to call it traditional psychology, but realise what is happening, is a very large it’s still very much alive. That’s why you lot and specific risk factor for mental illness. show your ankles everywhere. This brand of Not to mention the fact that we’re usually psychology creates our rape myths. left literally holding the baby (or the sibling, or parent or grandparent). What are normal changes? Are trend setters schizophrenic? Elon Musk is definitely a lizard person. Are early adopters schizophrenic? These people don’t do what is normal. We celebrate them. We institutionalise others just because no one else copies them. A psychologist puts you in a book, and next minute, being gay is illegal. Being normal also depends on where you are. I thought I’d push the envelope and went to a metal bar in a white shirt. I was at a metal bar in London and a group of “entrepreneurs” (i.e. unemployed business degree students) wanted to come in wearing suits. The bouncer said “sorry lads, there’s a dress code in this establishment.” Almost spat my whiskey out at that one. Imagine what the indigenous people of Borneo would make of a tie. A small flap of fabric that means you should be listened to. Imagine if we court ordered people with ties to see a shrink because they are schizophrenic. It's not a coincidence that these same people are often the white guys with money either.

Despite being the gold fucking standard of humanity, wom*n (yes, all wom*n, inclusive) are being thrown under the fucking bus. In every country from which data is available, in every racial, ethnic, and age group, from every historical period: we have lower arrest rates than men for all crime categories except prostitution (which shouldn’t be a crime, sex work is work). Several peer-reviewed studies over the last few decades have shown that wom*n outperform men in many of the key areas that make for good leadership: self-awareness, kindness, self-control, humility, social skills, and moral sensitivity. While men outperform us in unprovoked aggression, psychopathy, narcissism, greed, and the kinds of Machiavellian tendencies that create things like white collar crime, mishandling of a global pandemic and the need for the #metoo movement. And yet they’re still in charge. And you still ask us why we need feminism. Anyway, I digress. Why are wom*n more likely to struggle with their mental health than men? MaYBE iT’s ThEiR HoRMoNEs? Are wom*n more likely to be anxious and depressed because we do all the emotional labour or because men aren’t allowed to have feelings? Either way you can thank the patriarchy, and the solution is feminism.

Perhaps we’re anxious and depressed because we’ve been sexualised since we were children? Nothing like never being sure if you can trust a person to keep you on your toes.

Perhaps it’s because we still get paid less than men for doing the same work. Nothing Those with power determine who is normal like feeling unappreciated to make you want and who is not. History may be written by to stay in bed all day. the victor, but the present is written (usually on a prescription pad or a legal document) Maybe it’s because we’ve been taught 10 by the powerful. I haven’t even mentioned different ways not to be raped but boys still yet that the labels we use, like ‘schizoid’, are haven’t been told not to rape us? That deep also ways we hurt those who don’t meet down, some men think they’re entitled to “normal” criteria. our smiles, our time, and our bodies, even when we say no. All of this is why being ‘normal’ is dangerous. Never be normal. Let your freak flag fly. Maybe we’re all fucked up because we’re more likely to experience mental and Take care. physical violence and abuse than men, and trauma is directly linked to the development of anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental illnesses.

" What are normal changes? Are trend

Maybe, until we sort that out, wom*n are setters schizophrenic? going to struggle more with their mental Elon Musk is definitely a health than men.lizard person. Are early If you want to help? Call out your friend’s adopters schizophrenic? shitty misogynistic jokes. Even just saying that you don’t get it, or you don’t find it These people don’t do funny- that one small awkward moment is what is normal. " worth something huge. Because suddenly, the 1 in 4 women in the room that have been sexually assaulted? Feel just a tiny bit safer. And that’s a tiny step in the right direction.