3 ms·
I think you are correct to link this stuff to changes in how people think about autism, OCD, etc. I would also link it to the return of astrology and the prolif
by slibhb 5y ago
I think you are correct to link this stuff to changes in how people think about autism, OCD, etc. I would also link it to the return of astrology and the proliferation of terms like asexual/demisexual/etc. Ultimately all of these trends have to do with how people conceptualize identity.
It's not clear how harmful any of this is but boy is it weird.
- camtarn 5y agoI mean, sort of, yes, but that's an extremely broad bucket you've built. Lots of things are to do with identity: nationality, political party, etc. 'HN reader' is a fairly strong identity! The difference comes in the utility of that identity. If somebody is latching onto something which drives them to believe that getting one particular type of medication is the one and only way to fix their life, despite not really fitting the diagnostic criteria for the associated condition, I'd say that's a problem. Getting a new label (like asexual) which lets you make sense of your life and probably doesn't change your existing behaviour at all, let alone make you want treatment, I'd say is beneficial.