#Drapetomania

[feckcops]

Mental health diagnoses are capitalist constructs

“Mental and physical diagnoses aren’t objective facts that exist in nature, even though we usually think of them this way. While the experiences and phenomena that fall under different diagnostic categories are, of course, real, the way that we choose to categorise them is often influenced by systems of power. The difference between ‘health’ and ‘illness’, ‘order’ and ‘disorder’ is shaped by which kinds of bodies and minds are conducive to capitalism and the state. For example, the difference between ‘ordinary distress’ and ‘mental illness’ is often defined by its impact on your ability to work. The recent edition of the DSM, psychiatry’s comprehensive manual of ‘mental disorders’, mentions work almost 400 times – work is the central metric for diagnosis.

“When we look across history, it becomes even more obvious that diagnosis is tied to capitalist metrics of productivity: certain categories of illness have come in and out of existence as the conditions of production have changed. In the 19th century, the physician Samuel A. Cartwright proposed the diagnosis of ‘drapetomania’, which would describe enslaved Black people who fled from plantations. While we might think of drapetomania as a historical outlier among ‘true’ and ‘objective’ diagnoses, it is underpinned by the same logic as other diagnoses: it describes mental or physical attributes that make us less exploitable and profitable. In the 1920s, medical and psychological researchers became interested in a pathology called ‘accident-proneness’, which was applied to workers who were repeatedly injured in the brutal and dangerous factory conditions of the industrial revolution. Dyslexia, a diagnosis I have been given, also didn’t emerge until the market began to shift from manual labour towards jobs that relied on reading and writing, when all children were expected to be literate. Despite having problems with reading, I understand that in a world where reading and writing weren’t so central to our daily life, there would be no need to name my dyslexia, no need to diagnose it.

“As a system of state power, many of us rely on diagnosis to get the material things that we need to survive in the world. When illness or disability interferes with our ability to work, we often need a diagnosis to justify our lack of productivity – and for some, diagnosis is the necessary pathway to getting state benefits. If we want to get access to medication, treatment or other healing practices provided by the state, diagnosis is also the token that we need to get there. This is made all the more complicated by the fact that doctors have the power to dispense and withhold diagnoses, regardless of our personal desires. When it comes to psychiatric diagnosis, most of us know someone who has had to fight or wait for years for a diagnosis that would improve their quality of life – particularly in the realm of autism, ADHD and eating disorders. The internalised racism, sexism, classism or ableism of doctors often gets in the way of our ability to access the diagnoses that we want and need. Then there are those of us that are given diagnoses that we reject, a process that we also have no say in ...

“When we understand that psychiatric diagnoses are constructed, contested, and aren’t grounded in biological measures, the idea of ‘self-diagnosis’ starts to feel less dangerous or controversial. Self-diagnosis is grounded in the idea that, while the institution of medicine may hold useful technologies and expertise, we also hold valuable knowledge about our bodies and minds. I know many people who have found solace and respite in communities for various diagnoses, even if they don’t have an official diagnosis from a doctor. These spaces, which respect the wisdom offered by lived experience, can be valuable forums of knowledge-sharing and solidarity. Self-diagnosis also pushes against an oppressive diagnostic system that is so centred around notions of productivity.”

[elsgray]

𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 ༺

𝖮𝗁, 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖼𝖾

𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 ༄

[n0toh0mo0oo]

Drapetomania

(n.) an overwhelming urge to run away

[nando161mando]

read about Drapetomania aka the Runaway Slave Syndrome

[safeplaceharmoni]

Drapetomania (An overwhelming urge to run away ) personally I don’t believe the word gives the prospect any justice ,far too harsh .

Some days the desire to run awayresonates deeply with your soul the romanticized idea to start afresh ,disappear unknown to society only you and nature.

[theexodvs]

"You don't believe in scrupulousity? You're a denialist!"

"You're also a denialist of humor theory, phrenology, female hysteria, drapetomania, the effectiveness of lobotomies, and the vast majority of medical concepts that have ever been proposed."

[coffeecatcup]

crying rn because I'm not walking barefoot across a meadow to take a nap among the flowers afterwards and soaking up the sun, closing my eyes and being free of any thoughts

[glass-petals]

3/19/2024

[cuteshortvirginwhore]

Man I miss wanting to go to Europe

[glass-petals]

Do you ever feel like being a woman is just... impossible? Like no matter what you do, it’s never enough?

We’re supposed to be strong but not too strong—God forbid we intimidate anyone. Pretty but not too pretty, or else we’re trying too hard. Smart, but not smarter than the people around us. Independent, but not so much that we’re seen as cold or unapproachable.

And then there’s this insane, unspoken expectation that we’re supposed to make everyone else feel good about themselves while constantly questioning if we’re good enough ourselves. It’s like walking a tightrope every single day, balancing between what people want us to be and who we actually are.

And here’s the kicker: even if you try to fit the mold, it’s still not enough. If you give too much of yourself, people get comfortable taking. If you ask for too much, you’re “demanding.” If you try to show cracks, you’re “dramatic.” But God forbid you hide them—you’re “fake.”

Sometimes I wonder... what happens if you stop trying? If you stop being perfect—or trying to be? Would anyone care to stick around, or do they only love the version of you they’ve built in their heads?

Honestly, I think that’s the scariest part. The idea that someone could look at you, say they love you, and still not see you at all. Like, do you even love me? Or just the idea of me?

Maybe that’s the real tightrope—pretending I don’t notice, pretending I don’t feel like I’m already falling. Pretending I don’t wonder who would catch me if I did.

Anyway. Sorry for the rant. Just needed to get that out

[johnrgordon]

JOHN R. GORDON'S Drapetomania is radical for multiple reasons; it is the first novel about same gender-loving men during slavery times, and it is also the most visceral exploration of the totality of this experience. 

The book was acclaimed by many noteworthy luminaries like MICHAEL ERIC DYSON and ALEX DE VEAUX (AUDRE LORDE'S biographer and friend), amongst others.

You can order this award-winning epic here: https://tinyurl.com/4kw27438

[poodleman]

moodboard

[karmaalwayswins]

Now Reading:

[thee-radio-host-is-a-kookaburra]

the fact that coquette aesthetic girlbloggers are trying to glamourize the word "drapetomania" is um. fucking disgusting holy shit??

[bmpmp3]

and it goes without saying that the state of art history/visual culture video essay youtube is a bit dire. in that it like, doesnt exist outside of a few one off videos by general youtubers, decade old recordings of lectures, and random short text to speech videos that are likely ai generated

[mileenaxyz]

Exactly 💁🏽‍♀️

When Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire, many people labeled his actions as mental illness. They believe that anyone who is willing to die for a cause must be mentally ill.

But "willing to die for a cause" describes every single person who joined the military in a combat role. By that logic, every single person who joins the military in a combat role must be mentally ill. Aaron Bushnell had already shown before this that he was willing to die for a cause.

And this is proof that what qualifies as "mentally ill" is a social construct. Those who are willing to die to protest against injustice are considered mentally ill. Those who are willing to die to uphold the ruling class are not. Those who deviate from society's expectations are considered mentally ill. Those who conform to society's expectations are not.