Do you ever wonder why most bullies attach labels, such as “crazy,” “unstable,” or “mentally disturbed” to targets who stand up against abuse?
Here are the reasons:
1. The crazy label is used by bullies as a last option when there is nothing else they can pin on their victims.
2. A mental imbalance is the most difficult to disprove. If you are a target of bullying, and you have the guts to stand up against the abuse, the bully may tell everyone that you’re nuts, and everyone else may believe it too. However, although there is no way the bully can prove that you are, in fact, crazy, there is also no way you can prove that you aren’t.
3. They’re trying to make you doubt your own sanity. Don’t you doubt it for a second!
This is why the “crazy” label is just too easy to stick on anyone because people have a strong tendency to see the worst in others, and the burden of proof lies with the target. It is damn hard to prove that you aren’t mentally unstable, especially when bullies attack you from every direction and wear you down.
The natural human response is to react and defend yourself when attacked, and it can very easily be mistaken for mental illness.
It happens when people walk in on you as you’re telling your bully where to stick it. Many times they only catch the tail end of the confrontation. Then they draw the wrong conclusions. Understand that this is what your bullies are counting on!!! Often, they set you up to look like you’ve completely “lost it” to any witnesses who happen to walk by.
Bullies do this all the time to discredit their targets and cover their behinds when they know they’re wrong! If the bully can make you look loony, then who’s going to believe you when you report the harassment? And who’ll take you seriously the next time you let the bully have it?
They’ll only sigh and think, “Uh-oh! There she goes again! She’s having another mental episode! That girl has gone completely batsh**!”
Don’t fall for it! Stand up to them! Look them in the eye, and you tell them,
“You’re wrong, and you know you’re wrong! I’m not going to debate this any further with you!”
Then walk away and leave the bully standing there slack-jawed. If the bully follows you and asks, “What’s your problem?” don’t explain it to them. They’re not five years old, they already know, and you don’t owe them any more than what’s necessary. Say as little as possible.
Tell them, “You know what my problem is!”
The bully may continue to follow you and ask, “What did I do to you?”
You say, “You know what you did! Now get bent!”
Don’t beat around the bush. Get to the point and say it like you mean it. Be firm but don’t yell (yelling makes you look like a basket case). The bully may not change their ways and their attitude toward you. But I promise! You’ll feel so much better about yourself knowing that you put your foot down and looked less “unstable” to any bystanders!
With knowledge comes empowerment!
When you are labeled mentally ill, no one ever has to take you seriously again and you doubt everything you do. You can make people disappear and become irrelevant forever with a “crazy” label….even after they are dead 😓😓😓
You hit the nail on the head with this, Jim! 💯🎯
sad but true 🤗🤗🤗
Great advise. He form and consistent. That provides the wall a bully rarely will take the time to chip away at and combats the notion of instability associated with mental health. Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome Dr. Maples! 😊 And thank you for sharing your insights!
Some of it too is it makes it easy for the bully to justify torturing the person and when the person who has been bullied loses their temper, shows emotion, etc then in their mind it shows that person is “crazy” even though they have acted far worse. It also is a way to recruit others. If a person is on the fence or a follower of a bully and that bully claims a person is crazy, as soon as that person shows any kind of resistance it makes the sheep join the leader.
Absolutely right! I’ve seen it happen many times and it’s the cruelest thing bullies can do to a person.
Call me crazy, but if you do, then it’s best to back up, slowly and carefully, because I just might open up a can of crazy on ya!!! 😜😲😆😱🤣😆😂 LMBO!
😂🤣😂🤣Oohhh! I know, right! You tell ’em girl! 😜
😂😆🤣
😁😁😁
This is very true. They often pull the crazy card. I have a post scheduled for later about the different signs of disrespect and the “crazy” label is a big part of gaslighting from bullies.
You nailed it, Sara! 💯 That’s exactly what it is! And bullies do it to make you doubt your own sanity! It’s not so much that they think you’re crazy- it’s that they want YOU to think you’re crazy.
That’s very true. It’s freaky what they do to try to suppress and silence their target.
You bet it is! 👍👍👍
This is so great! My son has been having some trouble with bullies in school and I was able to read this to him and give him some very valuable advice all thanks to you!
This means a lot, LaShelle! I’m so glad you read this posts to your son! And I’m so sorry he’s got bullies on his heels. Please tell him that he’s an awesome kid no matter what they may tell him! 🤗
What if you DID go a little crazy during the Bullying? I ended up in psychosis a few times, totally lost in my own head full of terrible hallucinations. I wasn’t labelled “crazy”, just other names.
Sadly, that’s easy to do when you’re Bullied, Stella. Being bullied will drive you crazy, but that’s what bullies want so they can use it against you.
Yeah I can see that. Thanks. I am grateful that loss of control is now gone…
💖💐🌹🌺
My daughter just left home for the first time in a college summer program. The other 19 students in the program are bullying her. She has been so brave trying to stand up to it….but they are beating her down , every day, every minute …from all directions. It only a program with 20 students and they all live together in one house…she cannot get away from the harassment. Tonight she told the director of the program about the bullying and she does not want to deal with it one more minute….and he called 911 saying she is a threat to the others…this is so wrong. The bullies told the director she is crazy.! and they get away with the abuse.! tomorrow she speaks with the Dean but they are acting like shes the crazy one….and she is the victim!
My heart goes out to your daughter! Bless her, I know what that’s like and I feel her pain. Please tell her that none of it is her fault and that the other girls must be jealous of her. Otherwise they wouldn’t see her as such a threat and bully her. Also, encourage her to document the bullying- write down in detail what happened, including the date and exact time it happened, the names of all involved and the bystanders. Include where it happened, the dorm room, hallway, bathroom, etc. Why It happened (was it retaliation for reporting the abuse?)
And encourage her to save all emails amd nasty messages.
Know that I care and I wish her all the best.