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Trauma Contests
Some of us HAVE survived a lot more than others
In the constant barrage of people demanding “trigger warnings,” or that we use euphemisms or acronymns for trauma-related words like “unalive” when we really mean “suicide,” and others screaming that we can’t use words like insane or crazy because those are ableist against the mentally ill, it all gets a little too much for me.
When I dare to mention that as a person who has multiple mental health diagnoses that I am fine with people using words like insane and crazy, and that I use them too, I’ve sometimes been told that I should respect other trauma survivors who demand the removal of such words from common vocabulary. If that is so, should they not respect this trauma survivor and her need to use these words?
They accuse me of being ableist against myself. It gets even worse when I mention that some of my diagnoses are serious, and rare, and that the things I have suffered, most people can’t even fathom. At this point I’m told to quit comparing trauma, that I can’t claim mine is worse as a reason for why I can use real words instead of fake stuff.
It gets so damn old. I don’t deserve to be attacked by people trying to police language related to things that affect me personally. If they really have to slap on trigger warnings, or cheapen trauma and abuse by…
