a reminder that...

...your physical appearance has nothing to do with the kind of person you are

it's great to be fit and healthy but if you're still in process of getting there, it's fine. you're not defined by the state of your physical or mental health.

So can we stop shaming teenagers and young people for believing they have a mental illness?

It's a brand of ableism that's similar to cringe culture but it's blatant ableism in the way that a young person is struggling with a mental illness.

I always see people going "stop romanticizing mental illness" or calling teenagers who have them "attention seeking" or "doing it to look cool". But I never see anyone actually doing it because they aren't struggling. No matter if you have seen someone do it, it's more likely that they're struggling and coping in a way you don't deem appropriate. As if there is any right way to cope other than getting help for it.

I'm honestly really sick of seeing it, sick of people shaming others, attacking, being real dickheads because some young teen is like "hey, there's something wrong." And some dickhead is like "you're making it up."

Which, first of all, is extremely invalidating. And second of all, who made you the leader of the all seeing eye of mental health? Who are you to say they don't have it, when it's highly more likely that they do.

Regardless, can we stop shaming young people for this shit? Or shaming young people in general. Especially afab people. Literally I'd be probably richer than jeff bezos for the amount of times I've seen shit that's shaming a young teen girl for god knows what.

Please don’t shame someone’s mental health.  That person may forego medication necessary for controlling anxiety or mental health therapy for depression because you (e.g., Melissa V) made it shameful.  Shame on you!

Please don’t shame others’ opinions.  Rather, be thankful you don’t live in a fascist society where you are expected to share the cookie cutter opinions of the regime.  

Please don’t shame someone’s hair.  Perhaps they have been advised to not wash it every day so that it will recover from damage, and rather than go about looking like they have limp second-day hair, they may overuse hair product to slick it back.  Most of us aren’t hairstylists.  Exercise a little compassion.

Please don’t shame someone’s clothes.  Maybe they feel like they look good or they prefer comfort over style.  Not everyone is a fashionista.