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Comment by rendx | Hacker News Reader

I am asking them to reconsider and reflect on what that kind of language use does. You're the one reading it as "calling them out".

How else are we supposed to learn from each other, voice our opinions, point out our mistakes to each other? For me, this is communication. And currently 8 upvotes seem to agree with me and my request. Feel free to ignore it, or consider it, for your own use of language. But, sorry, to me, you're the one acting like a jerk and trying to "police", not me.

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PTSD sucks on its own. Trying to blame other people for its symptoms is a deflection. It would be like someone with ADHD blaming his inability to concentrate on everyone else in the room making noise or moving around. People with OCD tried this, acting like it's a Monopoly property that you have to pay rent for if you land on it / say its name.

If anything, it's a net positive people are talking about mental health and recognize different ailments such as OCD, PTSD, and others.

I agree with what you say? I think you're reading something into my writing that I didn't mean to imply. A headache is not a migraine is not cluster headache is not multiple sclerosis. We have vocabulary so we can express ourselves in an attempt to communicate. I am inviting people to reconsider their use of language when it comes to severe challenges such as PTSD. We are here to exchange opinions after all. If you find that offensive, so be it. You decide for yourself how you express your disapproval; two opinions can stand next to each other without introducing "blame" or "deflection".

I agree with you that it's a low effort, repetitive drone when people say "that cable job irritates my OCD" or "I still have PTSD from dealing with that annoying person". I don't like hearing it because it makes me think that person is a parrot that repeats common phrases instead of developing their own voice. So at least we agree partially.

I disagree that it's insensitive to those or have the illness. If it hurts you when people use PTSD as a literary special effect, I invite you to articulate why exactly it makes you feel (however it makes you feel - I don't want to put words in your mouth). I get the sense that some people take offense the same way a religious fundamentalist doesn't want to hear their Prophet or Messiah used disrespectfully. The source of the anger is built on faith and dogma.

Have you ever said "I'm starving"? Do you think that undermines the experience of people actually starving in war or famine?

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