Week 8 - Marissa Gomez-Alforja A03

The article "Fucked Up" by Shana Haydock opened my eyes about mental illness. The author challenges the idea of what a "normal" human experience entails and that diagnoses of mental illness are made to keep the norm maintained and relevant. But what is a "normal" experience? Haydock describes it as a universalized white male experience; everyone has struggles and it's just a part of life. I believe that it's common for people with mental illnesses (whether they know it or not) strive to be "whole" again, just like the normal.  Having said that, I agree with Haydock's views. These differences in people should be embraced and celebrated rather than being fixed. Everyone has their own unique upbringing/life that has led them to different coping strategies. For some, yoga and meditation help with their everyday struggles. For others, medicine is suggested as the only solution to their problem. There is no "normal" when it comes to mental health because everybody processes emotions differently. I really liked how Haydock wants "to be able to be broken and fucked up". I think that when you are "whole" you have no room left to grow, but when you allow yourself to be broken you can be capable of much more development. Mental illness is just another label used to differentiate different people. Haydock introduced terms like 'neurodivergent' and 'neuroatypical', which I like a lot more than 'illness'. It really pushes the idea that it's okay not to be normal (whatever that even means).

References:
Haydock, S. (n.d.). Fucked Up | I Would Always Rather Be Abnormal Than Holistic: Nine Micro-Essays.
(n.d.) Retrieved from https://medium.com/@Oolong/neurodiversity-and-mental-health-bed479fa74c6.