Identity Politics Is a Cause of Mental Illness

I'm very excited that this important idea is getting more exposure.

The Human Toll of "Wokeness"

Today's clinical psychologists often are complicit in the excesses of identity politics.
/ Eye on the News / Politics and law, The Social Order

Andrew Hartz

We live in a politicized era. Politics, particularly identity politics, are now woven through our educational, entertainment, technology, and medical institutions. This has taken a toll not only on our culture but also on individuals' mental health.

The causal chain is clear. Proponents of identity politics attack people for their beliefs, values, race, or sex. They intimidate their targets into self-censoring; in some cases, they ruin careers. Those on the receiving end of these attacks inevitably experience distress and sometimes even develop symptoms of mental illness.

Consider a person falsely accused of racism at work. He may be required to "prove" that he doesn't harbor conscious or unconscious biases. His entire career could rest on the judgments of a boss or a diversity committee. If he fails to sway them, he may get fired, face career-ending reputational damage, or see opportunities for advancement closed off. Even if he "wins," he may lose the esteem of his colleagues.

Several aspects of this experience could harm his mental health. The Kafkaesque pseudo-legal proceedings could induce paranoia and a sense of powerlessness. The resulting career worries could lead to sleepless nights or panic attacks. The public nature of the allegations could isolate and stigmatize him, even if he is innocent. If he expresses his understandable frustration, his accusers may present that as proof of his guilt and bad character.

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False accusations of bias are not, of course, the only example of politicized culture harming people's mental health. Another issue is self-censorship. Those who refrain from saying what they think often struggle with isolation; if no one knows what you really believe, you can feel alone, even if you have many "friends." Self-censorers can develop a "false self," an insincere, performative persona that, over time, weakens their connection to their identity and leaves them feeling empty, lost, or internally numb. Being forced to withhold one's opinion is humiliating, a sign of inferior status. And people who self-censor must think twice before they speak, stifling humor, creativity, and other joys of life. Such repression could contribute to anxiety, anger, or depression.

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Unfortunately, the mental-health field is failing to address these issues....

Clinical psychologists need to study how identity politics affects people's mental health, and what interventions, if any, will help. The field today refuses to do so, and as a result, the victims of this ideology are among the most poorly served populations in the country. The problem is worsened considerably by the reality that many therapists, academics, and professional organizations actively promote identity politics. They argue that masculinity is toxic, vilify conservative viewpoints, and advocate for censorship. These actions contribute to widespread distrust of the profession and keep people who need treatment from seeking it.

He seems to be mostly talking about the mental health damage woke culture inflicts on the people attacked by wokies.

But the wokies themselves are the most deranged and destroyed by the woke mind virus.

Meanwhile, wokies are trying to frighten and upset each other enough that other wokies will commit suicide, which they imagine will help their political cause.

I hope this doesn't drive too many of them over the edge:

posted by Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:40 PM

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