Hello readers!
Those of you who actually do read my blog know that I don't blog often. Heck, only my husband follows me on Google. People read my blog, sometimes, when I post it on Facebook. That doesn't stop me from blogging though, because whenever I find something that either makes me mad, intrigues me, or that I feel passionate about, I have to write about it. It's a great outlet to get out your feelings and just put your thoughts out there. Sometimes my blogs have sparked discussions, other times my blogs are largely ignored. But I won't ever stop writing them, even if only my husband ever reads them.
That said, as usual I've found something that bothers me so I want to write about it :)
I was watching a show I recorded yesterday called "Taboo". The series covers a variety of topics, and this episode covered physical or mental disorders that cause people to be outside what society views as 'normal'.
One was a man a little older than myself who had severe OCD. Despite using medicine and therapy to combat it, his OCD was pretty severe and some of the worst I've seen. Another was a woman whose body has basically no fat on it. It makes her look prematurely old and she is so skinny she looks severely anorexic, despite the fact that she eats constantly and loves fast food, which makes most of us fat. Another was a man with severe Asymmetry on his body, one side was much larger than the other.
In all the cases of these people, the thing that stood out to me most was how they talked of being bullied, ostracized and teased. How people looked at them like they are crazy, particularly the guy with OCD. The young woman who was so skinny found a you tube video of herself calling her the 'worlds ugliest woman' and comments on the video saying they'd give her tips on how to kill herself and doesn't she wish her mother had aborted her.
These sort of things make me seriously ANGRY! People who are ill through absolutely no fault of their own, being shunned by society because they are different. Being seen as less because they don't fit the status quo. There are so many different types of people out there. No two are exactly alike, even when you take identical twins into account there are differences that exist. So who are any of us to judge someone?
I admit, there are times in my life where I've seen someone behaving oddly and I thought, 'Okay, that was weird.'. But I would never shun or outright make fun of someone for being different. I suppose growing up with a brother who is severely mentally handicapped, and also who became mentally ill with Paranoid Schizophrenia, I'm a little more tolerant than some folks. I like to think that some people have been sheltered and just not had to deal with folks with special needs or strange disorders, so I like to hope that their ignorance is simply unintentional and a result of never having been exposed to these things.
Unfortunately that isn't often the case. Some people believe that mental disorders and things simply don't exist. Others make a snap judgement and once their mind is made up you can show them all the scientific evidence in the world and they still won't believe you, because their belief is now set in stone. Others simply lack basic human compassion and poke fun at these people for their own amusement. Those are the ones that really tick me off!
And I know that some things wouldn't even be said if it weren't for the internet. The inherent anonymity of it makes people bold and brings out the jerk in many. They say things online that they could never say in person to someone because they aren't brave enough to be that hideous.
I can understand people hundreds of years ago, not having the knowledge of science and the human brain that we have today, being irrationally afraid of someone different, because they didn't know any better. But in today's more educated and civilized society, this should no longer be the norm but it should be in the minority. Yes there are people not as well educated but again, those should be in the minority.
But its not and that is what makes me so mad. I suppose that is why I like watching shows that talk about rare disorders and people who look different. Mainly because I want to educate myself, and be prepared for what life may throw my way. You never know when your own child can be stricken with one of those rare, one in a million type of conditions that the doctor doesn't know anything about. Being informed as to what is out there, can lessen the shock of it.
I have to say I admired the folks in that show. The young woman has aspirations of being a motivational speaker and already speaks at schools about bullying. The guy with OCD holds down a normal job as a waiter, and has roommates and friends and family who are supportive of him. He tells his roommate to tell him its the OCD when it starts getting a little out of control, which helps him snap out of some of his compulsive behaviors.
One of the interesting things I learned about OCD watching that show is that the people who have OCD, are fully aware that their behavior is not normal and appears ridiculous, but they still can't help doing it. He explained it like having an itch you simply can't resist scratching. If they don't do the compulsion it's as though something bad is going to happen. The anxiety builds and builds till they can't handle it.
I admire anyone who perseveres and overcomes a health issue or disorder to really make something of themselves. Even if that means only being independent. I hope that anyone who reads this thinks twice before they judge the guy in the grocery making strange faces, or the autistic child flapping their hands or twirling. Be tolerant of your fellow man and be loving as Jesus taught us to be. After all, he hung out with the misfits, so too can we. They can surely bring a lot more life to the party, I'll tell you ;)
Thanks,
Dawn
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