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Comment by Broken_Hippo | Hacker News Reader

"It's just functioning mental illness which is validated vs dysrunctional mental illness which is not validated"

To be fair, this is the very thing that makes mental illness ... mental illness. It isn't that normal folks don't have some abnormalities and illnesses, but the fact that it affects their lives and prevents, to some extent, them taking part in a normal life. Sometimes it plagues folks.

In a way, it is kind of like blood pressure. Everyone has blood pressure, some higher than others. A few people that run a little high don't need to do anything. Some people take meds, and some do diet and exercise and such things. This all depends on what their blood pressure responds to and what the cause is - some folks get it genetically, others through diet and lack of exercise.

Edit: It is an easy example only, not trying to minimize mental health issues.

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>To be fair, this is the very thing that makes mental illness ... mental illness

True, but the use of the word "illness" is troubling. I had relatives who kept pushing for me to go for a diagnosis. I refused for years as I did not want treatment. My condition may have its downsides, but it has its upsides that make me perform better than others. People only see the downsides.

Mostly, though, I think it was because they want to justifiably apply a label to me, and I was not willing to oblige them ;-)

I go back and forth on the "illness" thing. I don't have a better term for it: In a way, it is the best term, despite folks using it as a label and way out.

"My condition may have its downsides, but it has its upsides that make me perform better than others."

This is often true and a normal feeling, from what I've read - which is why I think the best course of treatment is sometimes none at all outside of working to strengthen the positives and minimize the negatives. It really just depends on the flavor of the two and your lifestyle.

Sidenote: I hope you were able to keep some of the upsides even if you got treatment - or at least are otherwise happy.

> prevents, to some extent, them taking part in a normal life

> In a way, it is kind of like blood pressure. Everyone has blood pressure, some higher than others.

Isn't this defining mental health as distance from societal mean rather than fitness for a purpose?

In a way, yes, but in a way, not really.

I'm pretty distant from societal mean myself. Most of this is my choice: I'm an immigrant, I listen to odd music at times. I spend a lot of time producing artwork. I have blue-green hair, obviously it isn't natural. I'm also bi-sexual (which, weirdly, might have been a mental illness at some time) I probably fit into a few sub-cultures better than society at large.

But I don't have much trouble doing normal life stuff, outside of what can be expected with the language and cultural difference, without too much undue stress or worry.

Comparatively, some folks have trouble leaving the house., even though it they have nothing outwardly wrong. Have trouble speaking up enough to buy needed items, have trouble with basic hygeine or getting out of bed. Some can't deal with the stress of work or household chores for a time: Some folks opt for suicide. My ex cycled through many of these plus some.

The diagnosis depends greatly on societal norms as a basis for behavior, as well as one's own struggle to meet some of the minimum requirements for living. The goal is to be fit enough to do this stuff.

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