Fugitivus Discussion Forum

Urgh, I'm so sorry, Karalyn, Tevarre, and Eirwyn. I hope the clueless douche-guzzlers you've had to deal with STFU post-haste. School can be so horribly stressful (both socially and academically), and given that most mental illnesses are both a)stressful and b) seriously fuck with one's ability to deal with additional stress, combining the two is fucking difficult. I wish there was something I could do to help, but short of sending your respective raging asshat nemeses little notes reading "Dear asshat, It is my professional opinion that school is fucking brutal and being sick is hard enough already, so you need to stop being a douche. Signed, Professor [Mylastname]" I'm not sure what. Would you like some internet hugs?

No kidding, Tevarre. I wish we'd stuck with the cooperation model of education. I think school would have been more bearable that way.

You're absolutely right, Isabel. And thank you. I will indeed take an internet hug. *Hugs.* <3

Thanks, Isabel - internet hugs gratefully accepted! *Hugs*

The funny thing is, I only ever seem to run into these manifestations of ableism outside of my educational institutions. Both of the universities I've attended have been really accommodating when it's come to dealing with the impact of my depression on my ability to study - this one comes up almost exclusively when I deal with the agency which administrates welfare in Australia.

Our social security system acknowledges that mental illness affects one's capacity to work or study, and so allows for assumptions of 'reduced' capacity. Great! I can even deal with the hoops you have to jump through to get that recognition, even though it's incredibly stressful when you're already under the pressure of a mental illness, because hey - bureaucracies function in a way that needs particular kinds of evidence; it sucks, but there is at least an acknowledgement that the process is difficult to go through. And then you get to the face behind the desk / voice on the phone of someone who's supposed to've been trained to deal with people in difficult situations, and they're seemingly unaware that their responses reek of contempt. Intellectually I know it's part of the whole invisible disability = slacker thing, but I hate the way it puts marginalised people in the position of having to saddle up in their emotional armour in order to remind the system of its obligations.

(And that's when you've got a system that has obligations towards these groups!)

*hugs* A friend of mine is going through the hoop-jumping phase of applying for SSDI and some of the associated programs. The process takes forever, and her parents keep threatening to kick her out, but I'm really glad she has a very nice and dedicated caseworker who serves as a kind of buffer between her and most of the bureaucrats that have to be persuaded with reams of paperwork.

Reminds me of my theoretical "caseworker" [who I'd never seen before, despite being on Medicaid for like 9mos at that time] who during our meeting tried to tell me that no, I don't need the higher level of medicaid care and hell, I shouldn't be on medicaid anyway because [get this!] "[I] don't look that bad."

ROFLWAT. I mean, never mind that I was in the middle of a psychotic break, I look fine ergo my aid should be cut/dropped!

fortunately she wasn't able to do what she said she wanted to do, but fucking STILL. aaaaaagh.

Ahahahaha, in our Poverty and Social Welfare class (a few moons ago by this point), we had to print and fill out an SSDI application to see what our future clients would be dealing with.

Gooooooooooooooooood times.

Also internet hugs are always welcome, thanks!

Oh god, school.

I used to be in truancy court, and when I was admitted to a hospital after the judge ordered that I go to school (or else be sent to juvie,) she thought that I had done that to spite her. Thankfully, the truancy officer chose not to press charges at that time.

Remind me, again, how it's ethical for schooling to be compulsory when public schools refuse to meet the needs of all students.

This reminds me of some good articles at Psychology Today calling school prison. And it is. (I've heard bad things about Psychology Today, and I've seen what's been said, but some of the articles are good.)

whut. this is a REAL THING IN THIS WORLD.



ASSHOLES. this is the same group that markets "minimergency" kits to ALL!!! girls that live in dorms, containing some useful things [band-aids, emery boards, painkillers, a tampon...] and some really, really stupid stuff [hairspray! earring backs! nail polish remover!]. and you're supposed to carry it with you every day. in your bag. um wtf I am getting really discouraged that my school partners with them.

At first I didn't see what was wrong with it. Then I went back and read again.



Jesus Christ.