out of curiosity, what do you guys think gets shamed/is less socially acceptable more often? Adults with mental health problems, or children?

[kdraft]

ok, so i'm gonna give a better explanation to what i mean [sorry for my poor grammar and such, im too exhausted to do it]
so, im asking about two separate things. I'm also not trying to make this a competition or anything- im just curious what you guys think

1. do you guys think adults or kids catching the bus is more shunned/looked down upon/less socially acceptable- i just ask because i know both are looked down on, like- cause there are people who are like "kids are too young to be having these issues" or "kids are just being dramatic for attention" or "it's parent's fault [this shuns adults though]" or stuff like that, or "they're just doing it to seem cool [ties into attention though] , or like some kids may drop out of high school or something because of the mental issues and that's quite looked down upon cause seen as laziness or such, or mental health is an excuse, and i guess bullies may see someone with mental illness and find it as an excuse to bully them, or that kids are very little to be trusted, or like maybe they're problems are just a phase, or if they OD or something they're just trying to get high [i say this because back when i was 15, i OD'd on benadryl [i was a bit stupid, i know well now that it would not work] it was like, 250mg so definitely wasn't enough to kill me, but i ended up having a really bad panic attack, and i ended up confessing because of it, but when i got to the hospital, the doctor kept asking if i did it to get high, which i told them it was very impulsive but not to get high, it was an attempt, but he was very skeptical and kept asking if i was just trying to get high, despite the fact there was a lot of cuts and sh scars on my arms and legs, alongside having been to one before, idk if anyone else had that experience as a kid] i know there's probably more stigmas. I know adults also get stigmas, like just trying to get out of going to work, trying to get disability, etc. it took like 99% of my motivation to type the stuff about kids im sorry i cant explain stigma for adults as well, but i think everyone here knows adult stigma quite well, judging we are all adults

2. How many differences and similarities do you guys think kids and adults have when it comes to reaction to experiencing heavy stigma

sorry for the huge blocks of text, im really exhausted today has been a really exhausting day

 

[monetpompo]

i OD'd on benadryl but when i got to the hospital, the doctor kept asking if i did it to get high, which i told them it was very impulsive but not to get high, it was an attempt, but he was very skeptical and kept asking if i was just trying to get high, despite the fact there was a lot of cuts and sh scars on my arms and legs

teens overdosing on otc drugs definitely get a bad wrap from doctors (and probably parents, since it looks attention-seeking like you said) since the doctor kind of assumes the kid is stupid. most pediatricians probably aren't well equipped or cognizant that kids can have mental health issues. it's easier to downplay when the person you're treating is young.

what i feel the difference is between mentally ill adults and children is that adults know they're supposed to hide it because talking about it or showing signs of it makes people uncomfortable. you hear a lot about suicide attempts from teens/younger kids because they're more impulsive and more prone to fail by doing a method that doesn't work. adults are meant to slink away and hide their attempts because it can make it hard to get employed or mess with the way their friends' perceive them. families will see a mentally ill child as a burden if they have to deal with complaints about bad grades or shame them for their social withdrawal, but adults are less of a responsibility. a suicide in the family will cause shame no matter what, but some in their twenties/thirties is expected to not want to die because they have stuff to do like get a job. maybe self harm and suicidal ideation is something unconsciously seen as childish, because you're meant to be above that when you get older. adults get more stigma for suicide because people observing the situation see suicide as something cowardly and immature to do.

what ties kids' and adults' mental illness together is the idea that it's the same person and they just got older. the suicidal thoughts and the depression didn't go away and as you grow up, people become less empathetic towards you while they take up their own responsibilities. i've thought about this pretty often when i was younger and assumed that no one would care if i died as a kid, because i'd just be another teen suicide statistic that people would have to pretend to be bummed about.