Bullying and mental health stigma are, sadly, close relatives. This is because the stigma on mental health can lead to bullying. Moreover, it’s the perfect weapon. Here’s why bullies and abusers use mental health as a weapon.

You can be a victim of mental health stigma whether or not you have mental health issues. All it takes is for someone to claim that you have mental problems and your reputation will take a huge hit.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn about bullying and mental health stigma. Moreover, you’ll learn why bullies weaponize this stigma so you recognize it for what it is and what it’s designed to do.

Once you learn all about this game-changing information, you will be able to call it out with confidence and protect yourself against it.

Bullying and Mental Health Stigma

Sadly, the mental health label has loads of staying power. Also, it’s the hardest to get rid of. It’s the most common form of gaslighting there is.

Do you ever wonder why most bullies attach labels, such as “unstable,” or “mentally disturbed” to targets who stand up against abuse?

Here are 5 reasons bullies stick you with the cr*zy label:

1. The cray-Cray label is a last option.

Bullies attack your sanity when they’ve run out of bad things to pin on you. Think about this. They can’t as easily label you a whore if you haven’t slept around.

Just the same, they can’t as easily label you a criminal if you don’t have a police record to prove it. And they can’t easily label you a thief if you never took anything that wasn’t yours.

Therefore, the mental illness label is the last option your bullies have.

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. Moreover, everyone else may believe it too.

However, the bully can’t prove that you are, in fact, cr*zy, there is also no way you can prove that you aren’t.

You may not even have any record of mental illness. But those records are protected by HIPAA. Therefore, again, you have no way of proving that you don’t have psychological issues.

So, it’s the most difficult to debunk.  In fact, it shouldn’t be this easy and be so successful. But it is.

3. Bullying and Mental Health Stigma:

People tend to see the worst in others.

Another reason the “cr*zy” label is just too easy to stick on anyone is because people have a strong tendency to see the worst in others.

Moreover, the burden of proof is on you. 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 others can mistake it for mental illness.

It happens when people walk in on you as you’re telling your bullies 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 provoke you just to set you up to look like you’ve completely lost it.

Unfortunately, the label of mental instability is the easiest and most effective label to stick to a person. And the thing that makes it so difficult to disprove is the stress you’re likely under when your being bullied and mobbed.

4. Bullying tends to make you an emotional wreck.

Any target of bullying will be an emotional mess because of the chronic abuse they suffer. This is another reason the MH label is such a clever label for your bullies to pin on you.

‘You see? When bullies label you unstable, it doesn’t mean they actually think that you are.

Remember that bullies are big cowards. If they really and truly thought you were bonkers, they wouldn’t mess with you at all.

In, fact, they wouldn’t come near you. Instead, they would do everything they could to stay out of your way and avoid poking the bear.

They’d go out of their way to be on their best behavior around you. Why? Because they know that if a person is, in fact, a mental case, that person would tear their heads off. That person would go postal and wipe them all out, then go home and eat a sandwich.

If a person with any common sense knows someone who is factually batshit loony, their first instinct is to walk lightly around them. They’ll do their due diligence to keep from setting them off!

5. Bullying and Mental Health Stigma:

To discredit you.

Your bullies aren’t clueless. They know that eventually, you’re likely to get fed up with their crap. They figure that you’ll either report them or stand up to them.

Therefore, if everyone thinks you’re loony, who’s going to take you seriously when you report the bullying?

Understand that bullies do this all the time to discredit their victims and cover their behinds when they know they’re wrong!

Again, if your bullies can make you look like you just escape the nuthouse, then who’s going to believe you when you report them? 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 berserk!”

6. To make you afraid to speak out or stand up to them.

Again, just in case you begin standing your ground or speaking out about the abuse, bullies employ this tactic to keep you quiet. In that, they can save their own behinds.

If you know that people think you’re mentally unstable, chances are that you’re going to be too afraid to open your mouth. Why? Because you know that people probably won’t believe you.

They will only say that, because of your “mental instability,” you’re probably just having a bout of paranoia.

You’ll also be too afraid to fight back. You know that the bullies will only reverse roles and play victim. Then, others will only assume that you threw a temper tantrum and began shouting and cursing people out for no reason. All because you’re a “mental case.”

7. Bullying and Mental Health Stigma:

Your bullies don’t really think you’re cr*zy. They think you’re weak.

Your bullies know that you’re as sane as everyone else. However, they push that label because weakness or helplessness in a person does have a certain allure and appeal.

As a result, others may feel compelled to come to that person’s aid. Helplessness sparks a natural tendency in people to want to take care of the person who is helpless.

On the other hand, people are less likely to help the person who is deemed a basket case. Bullies instinctively know this. Therefore, they stick you with the mentally unhinged label to strip you of that allure.

In labeling you mentally disturbed and making it stick, bullies are better able to avoid being held accountable. If they can successfully dodge responsibility for their abuse, then they get to continue abusing you freely and with impunity.

Understand that there’s a method behind the label of mental instability. If you’re aware of the motives behind that label, the better you’ll be able to catch it and counter your bullies with it.

When Bullies Magically Become Board-Certified Shrinks

Isn’t it funny how quickly bullies can become board-certified shrinks? And they can do it overnight, without reading as much as a single word out of a psychology textbook.

As we all know, bullies are legends in their own minds. Also, they only make themselves look foolish when they “diagnose” anyone they cannot manipulate.

This little phenomenon is called “pop-psych,” and, it empowers bullies to conduct, “remote analyses.” All while holding little to zero education in the field of Psychology!

If you’re a target of bullying who’s been diagnosed by bullies, you can counter these accusations of insanity by reading a basic psychology 101 textbook. Then, you can challenge your bullies  by asking questions that challenge their narrative.

Bullying and Mental Health Stigma:

Here’s an Example:

Jack: “Don’t hang out with Jill. She’s cr*zy.”

Kelly: “Cr*zy? That sounds like a pretty serious accusation. Cr*zy in what way?”

Jack: “Uh…I don’t know. Like schizo or something.”

Kelly: There are five categories of schizophrenia, which one do you think she falls into?”

Jack: “Uhhhhh…having paranoia?”

Kelly: “I’ll have you know that paranoia is a common trait in many psychopathologies.”

Jack: “Uhhhh. I dunno. She’s talking about people talking about her and thinking they’re after her or something- that’s cr*zy.”

Kelly: “Jack, have you ever considered that possibility that Jill may be a target of bullying?”

Jack: “Oh, no! We’re not allowed to talk about that.”

Kelly: (Rolls her eyes and scoffs at Jack, then walks away.)

When bullies use pop-psychology, they do it out of ignorance and entitlement. They use mental health and mental illness as a weapon and end up making themselves look ignorant.

With knowledge comes empowerment!

For more information, go to:

https://antiss.net

If They Can’t Manipulate You, They’ll Attack Your Mental Health

It’s the oldest and most used tactic in the book! My classmates were no different. Bullies will always come back at you with the “mentally imbalanced” label to discredit you.

Moreover, they get to control how others see you when they can no longer control you. It only goes to show that they see you as a threat.

Also, it proves that they’re both desperate and afraid. When you refuse to be manipulated, it sends several messages to your bullies. These messages threaten their sense of superiority, positions, and their power.

• It tells them that you see through their smokescreens.
• It tells them that you’re not afraid to tell them to go kick rocks.
• Also, it tells them the opposite of what they think of you- that you’re strong and intelligent, not weak.
• Your refusal to be manipulated puts them in their place.
• It tells them that they can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.
• Moreover, it tells them that you don’t give a crap about what they say or think about you.
• It tells them you could care less about impressing them.
• Finally, it tells them they don’t matter to you and that you don’t value their insults or do you accept their definitions of you.

Bullying and Mental Health Stigma:

How to defend Against the Label.

Understand that bullies have an over-inflated sense of their own importance. Thus, they feel entitled.

They despise being told no and they loathe anyone who will not be controlled. Therefore, if they can’t manipulate you, they’ll manipulate your relationships, and the way others perceive you.

Don’t fall for it! Stand up to them! Look them in the eye, and calmly 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 them standing there slack-jawed. If your bullies follow you and ask, “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. So, 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!”

Short responses are key here.

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.

Your bullies may not change their ways and their attitudes toward you. But I promise! You’ll feel so much better about yourself knowing that you put your foot down. Also, you didn’t look unstable to any bystanders!

Know that there are ways to stand up to the mental illness label.

This post was all about bullying and mental health stigma and why bullies stick you with the mental health label so that you can see it for what it is and what it’s designed to do.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Weaponizing Mental Health: 7 Reasons Bullies Label You Mentally Ill

2. Bullying Those with Mental Illness

3. The Cycle of Bullying: Psychological Injuries and Care of Victims