Comments on: Tuscon shooter may be mentally ill – what does that mean?

By: Eme

Eme — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:30:12 +0000

“Well, I have bipolar disorder, and I’m not coming to kill you. I promise.”
–Journalist Andrea Ball of the Austin-American Statesman in response to the shootings

By: Sunday in Outer Blogness: Violent Rhetoric Edition! | Main Street Plaza

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Violent Rhetoric Edition! | Main Street Plaza — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:52:27 +0000

[...] to make heads or tails of it? Was the shooter mentally ill, and should we just accept that as a complete explanation of this tragedy? (Compare to this example.) How does Sarah Palin fit in? [...]

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:13:33 +0000

Wow, that’s a very good contrast to point out.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:13:02 +0000

*nods* Sounds about right!

By: Patito Gigante

Patito Gigante — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:29:38 +0000

Not only that, but this:
“People with mental illness were eight times more likely to be robbed, 15 times more likely to be assaulted, and 23 times more likely to be raped than was the general population.”
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/40/17/16.full

By: sbg

sbg — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:39:58 +0000

Sometimes I wonder if “mentally ill” is just a comfort blanket we all wrap ourselves in to prevent us from thinking any more about it.

“Clearly this person had problems, that’s why it happened, we’re all fine, s/he was sick, we’re all fine, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

By: GardenGoblin

GardenGoblin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:18:33 +0000

Sociopaths are a whole other kettle of crazy.

But I wasn’t necessarily talking about stability. Everyone has something they are irrational or illogical about, something society as a whole would deem ‘abnormal’ on some level. Sometimes it’s good-crazy, like dancing around the house in your underwear because a good song is on the radio, sometimes it’s obsessive crazy, like spending 20% of your paycheck on trading cards, and sometimes it’s bad-crazy, like being an alcoholic.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:58:43 +0000

Or maybe, just maybe, people are people, and anybody can be an asshole, mentally ill or not.

Yep, that’s pretty much it! Sorry for those who wanted something complicated.

Frankly, I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘mentally sound’. At least, I’ve yet to meet a single person who wasn’t some sort of crazy.

Life calls for adaptability, and that’s inherently a little unstable. The only people who have the sort of stability we’re all taught to wish for are sociopaths, and it’s because they lack adaptability (and must therefore try to make life adapt to them instead of the other way around).

By: GardenGoblin

GardenGoblin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:30:47 +0000

It’s funny to me, sometimes.

On one hand, I’m supposed to assume that all mentally ill individuals are nice and sweet and would never intend rudeness and should be forgiven all their sins because it’s just a misunderstanding the poor little dears bless their heart they meant well.

On the other hand, I’m supposed to expect the mentally ill to randomly go nuts and act violently and that’s just what happens and it was only a matter of time and oh well what can you do other than lock them all up for their own good and isn’t that just so sad?

:::headdesk:::

Or maybe, just maybe, people are people, and anybody can be an asshole, mentally ill or not.

Frankly, I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘mentally sound’. At least, I’ve yet to meet a single person who wasn’t some sort of crazy.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:47:31 +0000

The link on violence is in there now – I’m not sure how it didn’t get in there in the first place, but I was in a hurry to post.

As for the psychology stuff… oh, boy. I’ve been studying it for 20 years, and my readers are at varying levels in their understanding of psychology in general, so it’s actually easier for you to just Google whatever you don’t understand. Otherwise I’d be linking every third word. Once you understand the clinical definitions and diagnostic criteria for these disorders, the rest is common sense.

If you have specific questions, I’ll try to help.