#I do have other diagnosed mental illnesses

[creature-wizard]

Out of curiosity, I've been looking into the RAMCOA conspiracy theory, and while it's obviously anti-Semitic bunk, I did have a thought - that it could easily become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, that someone unethical could (in theory) read the guides and manuals and whatnot and decide to try torturing someone to program them. Has anything like that ever happened, to your knowledge?

First of all, "RAMCOA" is not a conspiracy theory in itself, strictly speaking. "RAMCOA" is an acronym created to cover a broad spectrum of abuses, many of which actually do exist. It was just also created to include the types of tortures that the instigators and perpetrators of the Satanic Panic claimed existed.

If you specifically mean the DID programming conspiracy theory, you should just say that.

So, and I want to make this very clear, there are no DID programming guides or manuals. None. Zero. Not a single one. All of the literature describing these alleged programming methods are written by conspiracy theorists, and they're all way too vague to constitute anything remotely resembling a real programming guide or manual. They are by and large witchfinders' manuals, meant to convince the reader that all of this horrible stuff is really happening, and here are the Totally Real Signs Of It That Aren't Actually Signs Of Anything Else At All.

Is theoretically possible that someone might give it their best shot anyway? Sure. But it would take quite a lot of effort. The kinds of tortures and programming methods these books claim happen would take a fair amount of work to prepare and carry out. These books claim that DID programming involves a lot of elaborate rituals that use a lot of tools and props, plus individualized scripts for each alter/part/internal structure the victim is supposed to be programmed with.

Someone would need to collect all the necessary tools and props, come up with all of the rituals and scripts themself, and then inflict it on their victim. And then in the end, it wouldn't work any better than any other form of indoctrination or conditioning. (If anything it would actually be worse, because torturing someone into a state of dissociation would make it a lot harder for them to actually retain information and learn skills.)

Given that it wouldn't actually deliver the kind of results conspiracy theory literature claims is possible, it's difficult to imagine there would be many people who'd keep up with it for long.

But I also think it's not really all that likely that someone would try it in the first place. If somebody just wants to control someone else, all of the more typical methods usually work just fine.

Also - and this is something I think a lot of people overlook - the myth of DID programming is itself a tool of mind control. We have seen it used numerous times to manipulate others into adopting certain beliefs, and believing that they could only trust certain people. Mark Phillips, Fritz Springmeier, Teal Swan, Unwelcome Ozian - the list goes on.

The thing about the DID programming myth is that the diagnostic criteria are so broad and vague that you can diagnose just about any traumatized or mentally ill person you want with programmed DID, and it's completely unfalsifiable. It's much easier for a manipulative and controlling person to play the whole thing straight and convince others that they're victims of TBMC and need their help to heal and free themselves, than it is to try and reenact the alleged programming methods. It is, after all, the old "you're in danger from an unfalsifiable threat and only I can save you" con that works on countless people every day.

For anyone who isn't aware: RAMCOA, which stands for "Ritual Abuse, Mind Control, & Organized Abuse" is not an innocent catch-all term for religious abuse, institutional abuse, sex trafficking, etc. It was coined by conspiracy theorists to try and make far right conspiracy theories sound respectable within legitimate psychiatry. For more information, see this post.

[artinvain]

guys, gen? I think I’m autistic ??? I can’t understand anything anyone says or does. like I have to know why all the time. my favourite word as a child was why because I don’t understand what the fuck is going on like 92 percent of the time. like is it just me or do people not explain things properly? so many euphemisms and skipped details that I’m…. just …. supposed to know???? like jokes aren’t funny to me, I don’t understand them because it’s very different to something that’s actually funny - like a situation or satire or banter (sometimes I don’t catch banter though).

also why is everyone always asking if I’m okay??? this is just my face. my brows are usually slightly furrowed and my mouth always points downward so I’m like? am I supposed to smile all the time????????

also whyyyy why am I so obsessed with things, I love certain shows and will watch them over and over until I’m downright mad with it and ready to spend hours editing? I think my life hyperfixation is writing?

and everything is SO LOUD! and everyone is always touching me and I can feel the socks on my toes and my toes in the divets of my shoes? apparently that’s not normal???

why IS everyone always touching me, I like hugs and stuff but I can feel them very deeply like I can feel the way someone’s touch is making my clothes move if it’s too light. but I hate tight clothes I’d rather d!e.

not only can I see through my glasses I can also SEE MY GLASSES. I can see when they’re dirty, I can see their frame around my eyes and it’s a very conscious feeling sometimes that makes my brain feel funny.

and I can’t just cry? I must have a full blown panic, retreat into myself and attack myself and every minor inconvenience in that state will send me into further shock!!!!!!

and I AM SOOOO SENSITIVE, everything smells funny and mushrooms are too slimy.

someone explain, please.

I definitely would have qualified for electro-shock therapy or a lobotomy and became a boozy housewife 👍🏽

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

wanna ask how you feel about the eridan bpd headcanon/theory(?? not sure what to call it!) you're so good at your character analysis and i'd love to see your outlook on it

Since I don't have a degree or any formal training in psychology, I feel deeply uncomfortable diagnosing characters. I've made an autism joke before but only because I'm on the spectrum. He's definitely traumatized and anxious, but I mean those as descriptors of his behavior rather than capital-D Diagnoses. I try to focus on those when I can - the cause and effect of cognition, self-image, and behavior - and those factors may very well match up with DSM criteria, but I try not to touch an actual diagnosis with a ten foot pole unless the author has explicitly stated that X character has Y condition.

[robinsnest2111]

sorry for disappearing. I promised I wouldn't do that again but it's always the thing I fall back on in desperate times. idk how to stop doing that

I'm just so tired and in pain, I wanna lay down and cry and never get back up again

[philsmeatylegss]

It’s really rude how my computer has gained sentience and is purposefully making sure it changes my correct answers into wrongly spelled answers on my knowt.io flash cards because it definitely isn’t that I am just incredibly frustrated and have really low self esteem so continuous failure makes me split into a situation where I am the victim and right now I am absolutely a victim of my sentient computer who knows what it is doing is wrong and they just want to hurt my feelings and it’s fucking working and I’m very sure punching and slapping my laptop that probably costs a grand will surely remedy the situation and I am behaving completely normal right now I am very rational in dealing with this situation thank you

[mars-ipan]

i have a check-up tomorrow morning and did the little depression screening thing online just now so it could be done. erm

[opens-up-4-nobody]

God. One of my little sisters is such a bitch. She's done me some genuine damage in exacerbating my already social bad anxiety. But when I have dreams where she's been hurt or killed, it's so horrible bc she's still my lil sister :-(

[torchickentacos]

hot take but I think that those youtubers who 'expose' alleged mental illness or medical condition fakers are doing more harm for the rhetoric surrounding mental illness-and the people who really have it-than the people supposedly faking it to begin with.

[seventh-district]

it’s finally getting cold enough that i can bring my cardigan collection back into rotation without feeling like i’m gonna melt into a puddle the second i step outside!!!

[iwatcheditbegin]

Idk as someone who has always struggled with mental health I do have empathy. but at the same time I think it’s okay to be realistic in regards to a relationship and realize that we can’t expect others to handle it. Contrary to social media mental illness isn’t a quirky thing and you can’t help people who don’t want your help.

[forgotten-daydreamer]

one day people will stop saying they have bpd just because they get "irrationally angry sometimes", but that day is not today, unfortunately for us all.

[danielnelsen]

there’s so much i wanna do this week/month/etc but i’m just too sick, i have no energy, i can’t sleep, i’m constantly nauseous and headachey and on the verge of a migraine, i’m stressed and irritable and impatient and panicky…….how tf did i survive nearly 5 years of high school untreated if i can’t even manage this when i don’t have any major obligations rn

[possibly-eli]

i dont understand what about this is so difficult for people to comprehend:

i just kinda want my thoughts on opinions on MY OWN HEALTH to be entertained instead of immediately disregarded

like. im 17. i shouldnt be having back pain so often. i shouldnt be having such severe leg pain. i shouldnt be dealing with such shitty hand joints. but FUCK ME i guess i dont get a say in jack SHIT about my own health!!!!! because what i say means fuck all!!!!! ok man!!!! whatever i guess!!!!!!!

[mars-ipan]

honestly i don’t really think any mental illnesses have been like “destigmatized”- not fully at least. i think the stigma has just changed from demonization to “that’s not a real problem get over it god”

[stinkrascal]

Plz tell me how you got diagnosed with autism? I defiantly have symptoms but don’t want to assume ):

i could sit here and tell you to drop thousands of dollars on a formal assessment or hundreds of dollars each on therapy sessions, but i will tell you a secret instead. u are not harming anyone at all by assuming you have autism without having a formal diagnosis. i promise it isnt as big of a deal as you think it is and anyone who tells you otherwise is uneducated

[shaw-kai]

the best thing about having a diagnosed mental illness(es) is people assuming you're always wrong and/or lying because "you're mentally ill" so no one ever takes your opinion on anything, or interrupts you because what's the point of listening to a crazy person