How Donald Trump’s put-downs may impact mental health stigma
DU is upset about WPs story on Sanders stigmatizing use of language, no one was too upset over this near month old story... The basic problem is no one really gives a crap about this sort of language, unless it provides political leverage.
This sort of language is very very common on DU and in American society at large, and the closing line of this article critical of Trump ends with a point all who engage in political discourse should consider...
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/02/19/nut-job-wacko-basket-case-donald-trumps-put-downs-perpetuate-mental-health-stigma/
When Donald Trump disparaged Mexican immigrants, women, prisoners of war, Muslims, and briefly even Pope Francis, his comments were roundly dissected and critiqued. While many would argue he ultimately “got away” with them, there were plenty of expressions of outrage.
But when Trump attacks people using demeaning slang long associated with mental health, there is no similar outcry.
He has called Jeb Bush a “basket case,” Bernie Sanders a “wacko,” Lindsay Graham a “nut job” and Ted Cruz “nuts” and “unstable” and has repeatedly referred to Ben Carson’s “pathological disease.”
And on the subject of gun violence, he often conflates mental illness with crime. He said in October 2015 that gun-free zones are “target practice for the sickos and for the mentally ill.”
That statement received some minor backlash. The Atlantic wrote that he had offended the 61.5 million Americans who in a year will experience some kind of mental illness. A few other media outlets fact-checked his accuracy: No, Mr. Trump, most people with mental illness are not murderers. <snip>
“This is the legacy of mental illness,” said Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist in New York City. “When we knew nothing about brain wiring and causes of mental illness and we believed it was a moral weakness rather than an illness and it was scary to people to see more extreme cases of it – that is where those words come from. Those words still hold that meaning. It is a way of deprecating your behavior, it’s a way of dismissing you.” <snip>
But mental health experts say language choice matters. That few flinch when those words are used as insults is indicative of how discrimination persists.“Stigmatizing words, stereotypes and portrayals end up helping to shape society’s attitudes,” Carolla said. “You can’t say it’s harmless, because it isn’t.”
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