Hey, I just got home and was sitting down to write chapter 3, but I saw this reply and figured that I should answer it.

I mean, I'm new to Guro boards- again, I was just looking for somewhere to post and this was the best place I could find. Having said that, I think that message boards should conduct their business in the language the board is presented in. In this case, that's English. So I don't think that someone should be forced to learn Japanese to interact on a message board. There's actually a whole thread dedicated to that topic. I don't think I should be expected to know Japanese terms to post here.

As for the rest of it... words, phrases and terms do have objective definitions. It isn't really something that can be argued. So it's a little frustrating to have, again, studied and practiced something for over a decade, and then have someone that you don't know, don't know the background of, come in and tell you that you're wrong about a definition that is a big part of your life. The DSM and decades of research define psychological terms based on peer-reviewed study that allows both clinicians and researchers to do their jobs. It's not up for debate outside of academia. And because those terms have agreed-upon meanings, we really need to stick to them to avoid confusion. Psychology and neuroscience are sciences- fields of study that are well understood and require specialized knowledge to practice properly. It's not something that you're going to learn from anime or role playing.

I'm really not trying to be insulting, but I'm not sure how to address this point without doing that- so if I sound aggressive, that's not my intention. But I would ask that you put yourself in my shoes, or the shoes of any person who has a job or interest that they've worked hard on, and are still paying off because it was exorbitantly expensive.

If you had done that, and a stranger came to you and tried to redefine terms that you had dedicated your life to learning the nuances of based on something they had seen on TV- would that be a good feeling that you would have? Or would it make you contemplate not returning to the site to post after all? Imagine that you hadn't been there that long, and this person was the only person giving you vocal feedback. Imagine that you were already nervous because you were finally exploring a part of yourself that was off-limits in most social spaces.

Finally, imagine reading their responses and realizing that they had a writing style very similar to the writing style of young people, and realizing that you, yourself, didn't have to even click an age verification to post here.

Imagine the fucking panic attack you had at that realization.

Here's the thing. I appreciate the suggestions- but I haven't watched anime since... probably the new Eva movies? I just don't have a lot of time. Well and I watched like two episodes of that gay ice skating thing, but the Russian guy got on ALL my nerves instantly so I didn't finish it, even though all my friends told me I would love it. I don't know WHY they thought I would love it- I dislike both romance and sports, and it was a sports romance. But my point is that I just don't have a lot of time to watch TV anymore, and I suspect if these shows are about incorrectly using psychological terms and presenting people with these disorders as the incorrect stereotypes you're presenting here, then I probably wouldn't like them- for the same reason I gave earlier about why I wouldn't be able to write stories like the ones you suggested. I was trying to be polite, but now I'm going to spell it out: I find that mindset both insulting and harmful.

I'm a real, live, crazy person, and have been my entire life. And media that portrays neurodivergent people in the light that you're suggesting here, is a big part of the reason that we face discrimination. It's a big part of the reason that people associate neurodivergence with violence- why every time there's a mass shooting, people start blaming us instead of the underlying causes of the actual violence.

This isn't an opinion thing. You're just wrong. You're factually incorrect and morally creating an environment that harms me, in particular. The real lives, in the real world, of me and others like me, are personally harmed, are worse, because of this mindset. There are factual, objective terms and definitions, and there is research backing them, reasons that they are what they are- and those reasons have to be understood to provide proper treatment plans for people. If you don't understand the disorder, you can't treat it. I'm not offended, I am simply trying to politely request that you not continue this harmful attitude, or to speak over me when I tell you the truth.

Don't look at anime- look at the peer-reviewed studies and the DSM. These things are not time-capsules riddled with cultural misunderstandings, as TV shows are, they are constantly changing consensus that grow with our understanding. Read the whole article, not just the abstract, and critically question everything. Follow the money (look who funded the research), look at the credentials of the team, check sample sizes- and to effectively communicate ideas, actively listen and then use the correct terms to mean the correct things.

Japan, in particular, is way behind the times when it comes to psychology and mental health. They are constantly under fire for it by international health organizations- there's a law on the books that people with diagnosed behavioral disorders can't even travel to Japan. Even if they've never had an outburst. Even if they've never been violent. There is no reason for this law to exist, other than the incorrect mindset that you're presenting here. My real life is limited, my real travel options are limited, because of this mindset. Japanese cultural media is perhaps the WORST source to get this information from.

Know your own strengths and weaknesses. I'm a bad writer, for example. I've never done it before, and actively need help with it. That's why I crave feedback. What I don't need, and honestly find a little insulting or aggravating, is help understanding things I'm already overwhelmingly familiar with, especially coming from such poor sources.

I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, and you will never know how much I appreciate you reading a story that turned out to be nothing like you thought it would be AND leaving feedback. I can't thank you enough for that. But I am trying to politely request that you not try to explain anything relating to psychology to me, not regarding emotional complexity or working definitions of psychological terms. I already explained that I can't keep two working definitions in my head and fuck up my professional life just to post a story. Another of my faults is that I don't do well with cognitive dissonance or multitasking. I can't even play two rpgs at the same time and keep them straight. I would rather have the correct terms, the ones I have to use everywhere else.

Again, sorry if this came off as aggressive. I absolutely didn't mean it that way, but when I'm insulted I have a difficult time regulating my tone- especially over text where emotions can't be conveyed with the help of vocal inflection, facial expression or body language. Again, I'm not a strong writer. Maybe as I practice more I'll get better.