I have learned, almost unconsciously, that I have to fight almost constantly for people to listen to what I have to say or take my ideas seriously. Confident young men are assumed to know what they are talking about until proven otherwise, but confident young women are assumed to not know what we are talking about until we prove ourselves.
Our society is not very good at listening to neurodivergent folks. When we're not being told we are lazy, the things we ask for are routinely ignored. Sometimes the way that this happens is very subtle, and even the people who say they value accessibility sometimes say hurtful things when they are not paying attention. … Continue reading Five unhelpful things I wish people would stop saying to me
I've cried in public more times than I can count. I've cried openly on the bus after saying goodbye to a loved one, I've cried at parties, and I've cried at work. Yesterday I sat in a coffee shop and told a trusted friend about a bunch of shit that I've been going through lately, … Continue reading Reflections on public pain and collective rage at the end of 2016
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's approach to mental health is completely individualist, over-simplistic and useless for most of us who struggle with anxiety, depression, and trauma. It's also not new.
On Friday morning, I biked to work. This summer I have cycled about two or three times a week. It's about 15 minutes to bike from my house, most of it down a six-lane major street that is busy by Winnipeg standards but would seem relatively calm to anyone from Vancouver, Ottawa or Toronto. Friday … Continue reading If a cyclist yells at a driver, it’s because they’re afraid they’re going to die.
This is going to sound repetitive for anyone who read my last blog post, but throwing around language about mental illness like this, without evidence, is not okay. Not ever. And when it's about someone like Donald Trump, it carries even more power.
Mental illness has become a scapegoat for systemic violence, and I'm scared for my friends.
