NullIsland's comments

As someone with diagnosed mental illness and a degree in Psychology, I feel I can add something to this discussion. My personal experience growing up was difficult. As a middle age adult, I have developed skills that make my life seem pretty normal. I no longer need psychiatric medication. One thing I tell my kids that I didn't understand when I was young is, much of what you feel and experience is the human condition. We all feel depressed, anxious, behave neurotically at times etc.. it's a matter of degree. Does it keep you from having normal relationships, a job, being financially responsible? The problem with this is there are many people I have worked with or known who couldn't keep relationship's or a job but were not mentally ill.

I would have been diagnosed on the spectrum had been born a couple decades later. My issues were blamed on being left handed, being "right brained".

I think when we live in a society where we have time to spend on social media sharing our mental health challenges in lieu of just trying to find food and shelter, it's a sign of advancement. I am also hopeful that the current pattern of glorifying illness and sympathy seeking behavior will diminish as we all become comfortable talking about it.

I have been attending Grateful Dead, Phish, Rainbow and other festivals for 35 years. I have known a lot of road dawgs. Many damaged from military service use there monthly retirement or disability to live a nomadic life. I have spent summers when I wasn't teaching traveling from festival to festival. Another summer in the woods of Oregon living in a teepee, no electricity, running water, cell service, etc.. I always had the income and backup options so it wasn't as difficult as those who have no choice, I could always go home. I have found some of the most interesting, intelligent and genuinely good people in these circles, also the most dangerous and mentally ill. I have Lupus and can't live any of that life anymore. I am so glad I did though, the experience made me a better less judgmental person. If I could tell young people one thing, before you settle down, have kids, buy a house, spend at least 3 months living on/with the fringe of society. Be careful, it's not a safe life, especially being a woman but common sense and good judgement kept me safe. I look at these folks as people who fit the quote “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

This article is interesting, I see the echo chambers of all ideologies.

I have the time to look at both sides of a given issue and do not fall on either side of any political or social group. I attempt to post moderate reasonable ideas that are well vetted. But this gets me called a fence sitter.

But what is scarier, in my opinion, is the idea of censorship. I would rather wad through crap than see anything censored, aside from clear incitement to commit violence.