“Crazy” Is One Of The Words Men Use To Shame Women
Psycho.
That’s what women are called.
It’s sickening really, to be a stereotypical woman.
We hear things like:
She’s clingy. She’s irrational. She’s crazy. A man calls her names often to excuse his own actions.
“Crazy” is one of the words men repeatedly use to shame women.
The others are: Fat. Ugly. Slut. Bitch.
Calling women crazy, is a misogynistic thing used to minimize our experiences, and manipulate us into thinking our emotions aren’t valid. It’s also known as gaslighting. And we hear it all the time from men.
You’re overreacting.
Don’t worry about it so much, you’re over-thinking it.
Don’t be so sensitive.
Don’t be crazy.
She can’t let go.
She’s obsessed with me.
I’m a bipolar woman. Bipolar disorder is a series of highs and lows that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, concentration levels, and the ability to do day to day tasks. Furthermore, there are bipolar episodes or manic episodes that cause spikes in certain moods. Take anger for instance, if I were to be upset it would be heightened by a thousand percent, and a man would simply just call me crazy.
For me to be born this way, and unable to talk about it with those around me sickens me. The stigma around mental health conditions in women is often fuelled by negative men (and sometimes other females). We’re labelled crazy.
Women tend to suffer from certain mental health disorders more than men (like depression), but this is often shadowed by the word crazy.
I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was irrational, crazy, labelled as a psycho ex girlfriend. I was mentally ill. I had bipolar with no medication; depressed, anxious, all the worst combinations for a heart broken teenager.
My ex boyfriend called my crazy to all of his friends. He called me obsessed, rude, psycho. His friends chimed in, my peers chimed in. I was heartbroken, grasping to keep myself afloat. I wasn’t crazy, in reality I was depressed. I was trying so hard to understand why the potential love of my life hated me so bad, why he pushed me away so hard. Instead of getting answers, I was mortified that his best friend called me crazy.
It’s sad, this is the harsh reality we face as women when it comes to our mental health.
I used to get so upset over small things, I used to get told to calm down, I used to be told that I was acting like a fucking bitch, that I was being irrational.
Women experience the pressure of perfection everyday, stemming from the stereotypical definition of the “perfect” woman; polite, quiet, ladylike, all of the traits that keep us under control and are not natural for any human being.
I, as a young woman, am scared. Scared of the stereotype that revolves around my illness. The stereotype that revolves around any illness, is scary. For me to be heartbroken down to my very core then slandered upon hurt me in ways I could never put into words.
I was told to get mental help. I was told I was crazy. I was told I was psycho. I was told I was insane. All because of an undiagnosed mental illness. The toll that comes with mental illness, is difficult. To feel like a burden to your family and friends, scared to open up about how you really feel. It makes you question yourself.
I questioned my sanity for years. It wasn’t until today that I realized, why?
Why am I questioning who I am?
Why are you questioning who I am?
Stop calling women crazy.