Is it ableism to call someone crazy or accuse them of having mental issues?

Question

So I’m sure we’ve all either been guilty of calling someone crazy or accuse them of being mentally ill or been a victim of this when having a disagreement.  Do you consider this a form of ableism? Or is it just an expression?

Accepted Answer

Calling someone crazy? No. Calling someone mentally ill, yes. 
I think calling someone crazy is a lot different than referring to them as mentally ill.

Answer

It absolutely can be, but there are a lot of variables. 
Is the person making an accusation to gaslight, or are they genuinely worried? 
Are they using the common language version of crazy, or are they mocking a real or perceived mental illness? I tend to avoid both uses, but I don’t typically find the former to the level of abuse.

Answer

Depends on the context of what they are being called.
Say for instance delusional or crazy or out of their mind things of this nature no.
But calling someone mentally disturbed or saying they have a certain condition when they don’t is. Idc if you have a degree in psych or whatever don’t exert any diagnosis here. We are all not going to agree 1000% of the time. The point of this room is to debate certain things and since the way we see things is shaped by culture, lifestyle and backgrounds we won’t all see things the same.

Answer

I think it’s stigmatizing or ableism depending on context. 
Saying “oh they’re crazy, they have borderline, just ignore them” is ableism. 
Saying someone is crazy for thinking X, I think is more stigmatizing. 
I avoid both. Not easy, ngl.

Answer

I think if I said like “Girl you’re crazy!” joking  around having fun, there shouldn’t be an issue.
If I’m saying “Girl you’re crazy!” To someone that actually has a mental illness or something going on that they can’t control, that would be wrong.
It totally depends on the situation/person/context.

Answer

Hmm, not really. Crazy isn’t a diagnosis. It just implies the person is acting irrationally or without thought. 
I’ve never heard someone call someone else mentally ill as an unfounded insult.
I think ableism is more like using the R word or saying things like “I’m so bipolar”.

Answer

I think it’s wrong to accuse someone of a mental illness during an argument or disagreement just because you disagree.

Answer

It really depends honestly. I've had a few borderline friends in the past completely turn on me and it was blindsiding. I never went out of my way to call them crazy or tell them they needed help (it's pretty damn obvious, most people who need help know they need help and that expression can be problematic). I literally went 🤷‍♀️ and moved on. 
Using someone's mental illness as a means to discredit their opinion? Yeah, that's ableist territory.

Answer

I think crazy depends on context but I generally try to refrain from using it in regards to a person. Mentally ill has no room for interpretation and is uncalled for when not in a medical context.

Answer

Depends on the context. I just had a friend with BPD totally turn on me out of the blue and in the moment I called her crazy and delusional. Now that I've had a few days of distance from the situation I feel bad about it, but I also don't think I was really wrong for it. I felt hurt and I'm dealing with depression myself so I lashed out at her the way she lashed out at me. I wish I had handled it better but it is what it is. 
It can be very difficult to handle a loved one who has a mental illness. I think sometimes things can be said in the heat of the moment and they aren't meant in a premeditated, abusive way. 
But there certainly are people out there who are abusive and who do use people's mental illness against them. So again context is everything

Is it ableism to call someone crazy or accuse them of having mental issues?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey