As you might have guessed by now, I’m a little addicted to the New York Times. Today, I was particularly drawn to an article about “Mad Pride,” which is the reclamation of the term “mad” by mentally ill people as a badge of pride (similar to the reclamation of “queer” by, well, queers.) They don’t want to have their madness viewed as an impediment to a healthy life. I was totally with them up to there, until I got statements like this:
“The Icarus Project says its participants are “navigating the space between brilliance and madness…Some Icarus Project members argue that their conditions are not illnesses, but rather, “dangerous gifts” that require attention, care and vigilance to contain. “I take drugs to control my superpowers,” Mr. DuBrul said.”
Then they lost me. Here’s why:
