#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 ༄

[erraticlady]

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

[poodleman]

moodboard

[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

[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??

[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.

[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

[year-of-the-rabid-dog]

[dcmcboxers]

My shout-out to queer youtubers

Hbombs list was great but obviously not comprehensive. I watch a lot of video essayists and wanted to give a little love to the smaller channels that fall under the radar. Please feel free to add to this list!

let's talk about stuff/Sarah Zedig

If you've seen Jesse Gender's videos on the Matrix movies you may already be familiar with Sarah. She does excellent film and culture analysis with a lot of great conversations on paratext and outside influence in engaging with text. Her video on Tunic is one of my favorites.

Pamphleteer

No one makes videos like hers, which has the side effect making them a bit hard to describe. I will link one of my favorites which describes the disconnected temporality of being older when you discover you're queer.

Turbo Queer

Really really under watched channel. Skylar covers a lot of topics from video games, to anarchist history and modern events, to autistic life, to current politics. For a fun one check out her video on the SpongeBob strike episode.

Kaz Rowe

Kaz does a fantastic job examining modern myths and manufactured history primarily pertaining to western Europe, Victorian & Edwardian England, and 1800-1900s US. And of course, talking about historical queerness in all its ambiguities and evolutions. I highly recommend their video on Weimar Germany.

drapetomania

drapetomania interrogates the politics of low class and high class art and entertainment from a queer and Black perspective. Their art history videos alone cover many angles of white supremacist history I haven't seen anyone else discuss and I'm very excited to see more from them. They are also a very under viewed channel that more people should see!

I am error

Evelynn's channel primarily discusses video games in a presentation style and voice most similar to Action Button reviews. There's something just a bit more personal here though. I hesitate to say cozy since that word has a bit of an infantilizing connotation, maybe comforting is closer. She puts an immense amount of thought and empathy into the experience of playing video games and the personal narratives we build with them.

Swolesome

For more transmasc perspectives there's Swolesome. He has a lot of interesting insights into the more traditionally masculine and "broish" communities like fitness as well as commentary on recent trans issues.

Shonalika

Music, disability, and aggressively non-binary. Their video on gender presentation in heavy metal was really insightful. I would also check out the video "Why I Wear Gloves" for more insight on invisible disabilities.

Vivian Strange

Vivian delights in being a bit of a contrarian- something I really appreciate. She's probably going to challenge you and you're probably going to disagree at times, which is what makes her channel so important. Her video on Marquis De Sade is powerful and a must watch (if you can stomach the subject material, although I would encourage you to try). I haven't seen her most recent video on Saw yet but I am extremely excited to.