Tomorrow is Halloween and it goes without saying that a fair number of people dress up as “crazy” aka violent and dangerous “monsters”. As a person with mental illness, this false and hurtful stereotype riles me up more than other Halloween-y issues such as cultural appropriation and objectification of women.
I feel too tired right now to write at length about this issue, so I am just going to leave you with a few links that pretty much sum up what I want to say:
Asda Isn’t Alone: The Disturbing Halloween Costumes That Mock Mental Health
Halloween attractions use mental illness to scare us. Here’s why advocates say it must stop.
Asda, offensive halloween costumes and mental health stigma
My Mental Illness Isn’t A Haunted House Attraction
Halloween Depictions of Mental Illness Add to Stigma
Mental illness can be scary at times, but that doesn’t mean that people who have it are monsters who should be feared, ostracized, or hunted. If you feel as strongly as me about mental health, make sure what you dress up as doesn’t come across as ignorant and derogatory. In fact, if you put your mind to it, Halloween can be the perfect day to destigmatize mental illness, or at the very least, not perpetuate mental health stigma and stereotypes.
So what are you dressing up as this Halloween to change the conversation about mental illness?
My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You cannot imagine how much time I have spent looking for this information! Thanks!
I feel fucking sick after reading this. Capitalism spares no one, not even mental illness. Thank you God for allowing the stigma and discrimination to prevail.