Nobody I’ve been locked up with felt ‘proud’ of their illness
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
One quibble I have, however, is her calling out Katy Perry for using the term "bipolar" frivolously. On the contrary, Katy was married for two years to Russell Brand, who has a bona fide diagnosis of bipolar disorder, plus several other serious mental disorders. I often watch Katy's video for "Hot N Cold" because it rings so true in terms of outsiders affected by someone who suffers from bipolar disorder.
There's a huge amount of gatekeeping, and for good reason. We've seen teenagers and young adult go on TikTok and receive a "diagnosis" for themselves, of anything from bipolar, to OCD, or autism. They get lured into these circles and communities of people who may or may not have a formal diagnosis, and they're all encouraged to diagnose themselves and share their symptoms and, basically, spill their guts, not to a licensed counselor or therapist, but they spill their guts to the community.
There are forums and online communities which condone and encourage eating disorders, genital self-mutilation, self-harm, and even suicide. Nobody running these communities has a license, a certification, or any kind of responsibility for the well-being of the members. Children, teenagers, and young adults simply select a "diagnosis" from a smorgasbord menu and then wear it as a badge of courage.
Of course we need gatekeeping for this. I may disagree on the nature and profession of those keeping the gates, but I completely support the need for such a thing in the first place.