[perspective] I have the sad distinction of owning the mother of all med threads. [/perspective]
Humbly, I submit Lynn might wish to make some kind of proclamation about the use of meds ad hominem.
Bro, you gotta get off that cross, there is no conspiracy against you.
Why is it necessary to drag in the hoary shibboleth of “political correctness”? Can’t we refrain from making fun of retards and faggots and cripples and Hebes and mental defectives because making fun of them is rude? Why does there have to be an agenda behind being courteous to one’s fellow human beings?
This post contains hyperbolic slurs for dramatic effect. If you’re upset by them, take a pill.
Somebody call the police: someone–a nun, by the sound of it; or possibly a children’s-show host–has obviously made off with gobear’s computer and is posting under his username.
Unless . . . unless . . . gobear, did you recently up your meds? It’ll take some getting used to, this new kinder whinier you, but I must say it looks good on you.
[Note to self: bookmark this page. I have a feeling I’ll be referring back to it in many future gobear exchanges, when he builds up resistance to his new dosage and his old “personality” begins to show through the cracks.]
I have difficulty interpreting Airman Doors’ comments in the aforementioned thread as “erring on the side of kindness”, which is why I’m finding this all a bit incongruous.
I prefer Zabali_Clawbane’s position. Or to put it another way, I would rather avoid hyperbole altogether.
Regarding this “everybody despises me” idea: allow me to second Lib’s emoticon. I’m not going to claim I adore you, but good grief! Perhaps you’re taking this board a bit too seriously?
gobear, I’m genuinely surprised that you say the vast majority of posters dislike you. I’ve disagreed with you before, but I don’t recall finding you obnoxious, deceitful, or mean-spirited. Have I just not been paying attention?
As always, when I find out that some people are genuinely hurt by a phrase or mannerism that I considered innocuous, I’ll definitely take that into consideration; for the sake of politeness, I’ll do my best to avoid using the phrase around you, or around anyone else who I know will dislike it.
However, I do deal with crazy people occasionally via my work, and it’s very often in an adversarial fashion (such as the guy who called our office yesterday describing in detail his desire to shoot one of our employees for her ostensibly poor driving habits). Whether the guy was just a grade-a asshole or was having a manic episode, it was very stressful to deal with his ranting, and joking about him as a lunatic was a way of dealing with that stress. I reserve the right to make such jokes when I’m not around you, or around other folks that I think will be offended by it.
And, of course, I likewise reserve the right to make such jokes if I ever deliberately want to be rude. I generally try to avoid such over-the-top rudeness, but on rare occasions it’s appropriate.
Daniel
gobear I do not know what is going on in your personal life or behind the scenes in your emails or even what is going on in some of the threads at the SDMB, but I have noticed lately a tendency for you to come across as insecure in your position here. It is sad to see you start this thread with such negativity in it about how other posters will perceive and react to your opinion without even allowing others to react. I also have noticed this flincing before being swung at is a recent thing for you, I didn’t notice it before.
I have no great words of wisdom to give you more of a feeling of security here. I also am reticent to heap praise on you for a “love fest” cause I don’t think that will solve what seems a constant need for affirmation of our regard. So maybe you need to analyze your own position here and in real life to find where this insecurity is coming from and be honest with yourself about if this persecution is real or just a figment of yours or if you have just taken a passive-aggressive stance.
How about those cases where “take your meds” seems to be the right thing to say?
There * are * posters on the SDMB who are in the habit of either posting while intoxicated or while otherwise mentally unfit to be out in public. In the past, there have been posters who have made a habit of starting up random pit threads at such periodic intervals that you had to suspect some kind of emotional instability. I’ve been the victim of an incoherent bushwhacking from someone who I’m certain was completely ripped at the time of posting.
This is pretty unfair to the other users of the SDMB. How do you react to someone who takes a fairly inoffensive post as an excuse to go ballistic? I don’t think “take your meds” is any more offensive than “Why don’t you post when you’re capable of controlling your emotions?” or “Have you considered seeing a professional therapist?”
Absolutely, and some are even well deserved. I just think more gets accomplished even in the pit when the argument itself is attacked, rather than the person posting it. And making a comment about someone being on medication is, IMO, a bit below the belt. Like if someone called someones mother a whore. There just isn’t a need to get that personal. I’m not saying that everyone needs to sweet to each other.
And gobear, just for the record, I think you are a pretty cool guy. I don’t always agree with you and get annoyed at some of the snarkiness, but we all have our moments. I consider you to overall be a valuable contributer on here. Besides, it would be a damn boring place if we all agreed all of the time.
Any elaboration on what types of behavior make a person a member of the “blue-nosed Offenderatti”? If there had been a segment of the deaf population who found Mr. Bush’s tagline offensive, would Mr. Greene still be a member of this group? I’m afraid I don’t understand the rules for deciding when someone is offended without cause(which, it is my understanding, is the main component of being a member of the Offenderatti) and when someone is legitimately offended on behalf of some minority who found the remark offensive.**
Yep, it is the entire crux of the issue of political correctness. If some stigma, mental illness, homosexuality, race, etc., is invoked haphazardly by people who are not necessarially intending to offend anyone, but are simply ignorant of the difficulties of someone who actually faces those issues, then should they be called on it? Should those, like yourself with your newfound knowledge of the difficulties of those with a mental illness, with more knowledge of the subject attempt to enlighten people as to the offensiveness of their words? Should they ask people not to carelessly throw around terms like “gimp”, or “retard” because there are very real, and hurtful, consequences?
If the answer is yes, then where does the line get drawn? Should we also ask people not to use terms like “shorty”, or “baldie”? I know what my personal rules are, but we’re talking about a wider society here.**
No, no harm done. In fact I see this as an opportunity to have an interesting discussion about political correctness. You see, it doesn’t stem, at least not for me, from a desire to censor others. It stems from compassion. Compassion that you have, admirably, shown yourself. A desire to keep those who suffer from mental illness, or any other stigmatized situation, from recieving gratutious insult. I’d like to think I’m reasonable, but who knows, maybe I’m just a blue-nosed offenderatti.
Enjoy,
Steven
Agreed.
I’m not sure how I would search for it, so I have no specific cite, and I’d be open to evidence to the contrary, but my tone in this thread is because my take on gobear is that he’s a person who’s quick to snap at others, and has no qualms about insulting someone who’s pissed him off; and further, that he’d be among the first to decry as “political correctness” anyone else’s attempt to call him on it. His diatribes often have an “if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen” smell to them, so I’m kind of bewildered by this thread, unless it’s A) a passive-aggressively sincere cry for help, or B) a very subtle parody of the kind of whiners who seem to be gobear’s frequent targets.
Now, again, I’m open to being convinced that my impression of him is a false one, but until such time, I will continue to read this thread with eyes arolling.
This thread came about because I have spent the last 2 1/2 months listening to incredibly sad stories of the ravages of mental illness and I stupidly thought i had something to contribute.
and no, this is not “a passive-aggressively sincere cry for help”–I only mentioned my personal feelings because Lib asked me why I thought I’d get flamed. He asked, I answered, and that’s all I’m going to say on that.
I have a mental illness and everyday swallow a huge handful of meds which I’ll have to take for the rest of my life. Most of the time when I hear someone telling me to go take my meds I feel like they are just using one of many slang choices to convey that they think I’m way off base about something. I rarely feel that the intent is to demean or hurt me or other mentally ill.
Sometimes though, it does sting a bit when some one I’m close to uses it to justify what they see as inappropriate feelings. I often feel that I’m expected to be more even keeled than those not on meds. Not all the sadness or really good moods that I have are due to a mood disorder. My medicine does not stop me from having a range of emotions but keeps me from going to extremes quite as easily or as randomly. My frustrations with people who say this to me is balanced by knowing that usually they are geniunely concerned about how I’m doing.
Thank you, clipper, exactly.
If someone I don’t know, say on one of these forums, says “Go take your meds,” I take it as meaning the same thing as, “Oh, go take a long walk off a short pier.”
However, I haven’t spoken to a sister since, during an argument she was losing, she sputtered, “why don’t you take another prozac,” when she knew very well that at the time I was being treated for major depression.
And yet here you are mocking someone sticking up for those who suffer from depression, as well as other illnesses.
Full disclosure
I have a recurring problem with chronic depression and have done
since childhood. I don’t talk about it to anyone lest they react exactly as Lissener has: “Oh, he just wants attention.” That’s why I can’t talk about it with my partner, so he doesn’t understand why I sit in a room by myself every few months or so. That’s why I’ve never brought it up on the boards before. The idea of being pitied or looked down on because of a personal flaw is repellent.
But, yeah, go ahead and mock me, Lissener. Enjoy the feeling of superiority.
WHAT? gobear, how did you get the impression that most people on the boards hate you? I’d say it’s the opposite!
And I agree one hundred percent with what you have said! As most of you are aware, I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and am on Paxil to treat it. If there is one thing that sticks in my craw, it’s the stigma surrounding mental illness and disorders. Comments like, “Take your meds!” don’t help!
:mad:
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
No, here I am knowing the difference.
:rolleyes: whutEVer/
No, here I am knowing the difference.
:rolleyes: whutEVer