Why do some people want to be mentally ill? Is it validation? Attention seeking or just a need to feel special? I was diagnosed with a mental illness when I was in my late teens, and I've found that my family members self-diagnose themselves with one mental disorder or another. I'm not saying they cannot have a disorder, but I don't understand why they don't seek professional help. I always hear terms thrown around like "Narcissist" "Panic attacks" or "OCD" even though they've not sought professional help or gotten a diagnosis.

So why do people do this? Is it fair to say it's the need to feel special? I think we all want to feel special, but some people latch onto mental illness for one reason or another. I dislike it because it trivializes real mental health issues. Panic attacks are terrifying, yet people think it's simply panicking or freaking out. Real narcissism (NPD) is a mental illness, but we use it every day to label people we find toxic. Actual OCD alters a person's life, but these days everyone is OCD.

when u have been thru some shit in life and see people posturing as something they can’t even begin to understand, it’s hurtful. i want younger people than me who feel marginalized to not rely on the identity of that marginalization and categorize every aspect of yrself to make people hear you or see you. i want younger people than me who feel like they are misunderstood to not adopt a damaged / disordered / ill psyche to feel like their navigation thru the world is determined by every facet of who they are. yes theres shit about who we are that makes walking thru life challenging in every way, but i want the youngins to know that if they can avoid some of the shit that sucks in life, they should. and they should understand that adopting that as an identity is not at all a point in a game or a character in a show or a hyperfixation on a fluidly changing sexuality. what we can do is teach and change systemic marginalization is not further box ourselves in, but free ourself from nuanced labeling of the things that make ourselves on the fringe. just wanted to vent and invite discussion on this