Is homosexuality a mental illness?

[Nation of Fortune]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

[Ixia]

Mental illness (in the dictionary): Any of the various forms of Psychosis or severe neurosis.

Psychosis: Mental disorders characterized by Delusions or Hallucinations that indicate impaired contact with reality.

Neurosis: a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.

I think you have a better case of labeling pot smokers and religious people as mentally ill.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Sentinel XV]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

A vast majority do not, though.

[Mavorpen]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

Which is a minority.

[Nation of Fortune]

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

A vast majority do not, though.

I will concede to that, but I was just saying that it sometimes is in fact the case.

[Creative Vikings]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

Now now, we all have the capacity to change.

[Mavorpen]

A vast majority do not, though.

I will concede to that, but I was just saying that it sometimes is in fact the case.

Regardless that wasn't his point in the first place. He stated that we view obesity itself as a mental illness, not the actual mental illnesses or disorders that can cause obesity.

[Ixia]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

Yes, but those are physical ailments, not mental, and I'm pretty sure the inability to suppress the desire to eat excessively fattening foods in gross amounts is simply the domain of weak willpower, which, last I checked, was not considered a mental illness.

[The Steel Magnolia]

Oh for fuck's sake NSG it's three in the fucking morning and I wanted to get some sleep tonight.

Goddammit.

[Nation of Fortune]

I will concede to that, but I was just saying that it sometimes is in fact the case.

Regardless that wasn't his point in the first place. He stated that we view obesity itself as a mental illness, not the actual mental illnesses or disorders that can cause obesity.

and I wasn't saying otherwise.... I was just pointing out that it in fact is sometimes caused by a disorder that the person cannot help.

[Mavorpen]

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

Yes, but those are physical ailments, not mental, and I'm pretty sure the inability to suppress the desire to eat excessively fattening foods in gross amounts is simply the domain of weak willpower, which, last I checked, was not considered a mental illness.

You're partially right. In fact, I've read that obesity can actually contribute to increases mental illnesses.

[Yuktova]

I was listening to the radio and I heard something that made me start thinking about the possibility that gay thoughts are signs of psychological problems like Terrets, Autism, and other mental problems people are born with. Kind of like the sexual attraction programming went haywire.

However, I also think that some homosexuals may not be born gay, but that they have chosen to be gay as a form of rebellion or as a result of other circumstances.

So what do you think?

Word of advice: Just because someone says something, doesn't make it true.

[Galiantus]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort. However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing. My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

[Hulagu]

Tourette and autism are not in the same league - one is an obsessive compulsive disorder, the other is caused by a pathologic cognitive disability.

being gay is completely natural - and all psychological associations in the Western world have removed it from their handbooks as a disorder. Which means: it's anot a disorder.

But disorders are more likely to occur in gay and lesbian people: depression, suicidal tendencies, anxiety...
The reason: that's caused by the bigotry and hatred that certain heterosexual people think they aught to have for gay and lesbian people.

If a gay person is treated just like any other person, that gay person will be just as mentally disordered as a straight person in the same situation. That means: probably not. And if (s)he is, it is caused by something else, not by the homosexuality.

[Nation of Fortune]

There are some people who do in fact have disorders that cause obesity.

Yes, but those are physical ailments, not mental, and I'm pretty sure the inability to suppress the desire to eat excessively fattening foods in gross amounts is simply the domain of weak willpower, which, last I checked, was not considered a mental illness.

How is this relevant? Clearly his post states disorder/mental illness. I claimed that in fact some people, who in fact have no issues controlling their diet, cannot control the fact that they are obese because of a disorder. There was no mention of it being exclusively a mental ailment.

[Meryuma]

It does not cause distress or difficulty functioning, therefore, it is not an illness.

Ah, but if the "normal" programming was homosexuality, people would have died out millions of years ago. Therefore natural homosexuality is a disorder, because it does not benefit the human race in any way.

"The human race" has no will of its own. It's an abstract concept. Homosexual relationships and feelings can lead to benefits for individual humans, which is a way more concrete form of "benefiting the human race" than some foolish, destructive and repressive notion of a duty of all humans to reproduce.

Also, you're thinking of some form of ethics, not psychology. Disorders are not defined based on pseudo-Kantian nonsense. You could just as easily say "if everyone was a menopausal woman no one would reproduce, thus being a menopausal woman is a disorder".

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

Now now, we all have the capacity to change.

Yes, we do. However, we don't have the capacity to change our sexual orientation.

[The Nuclear Fist]

No.

[Episarta]

A form of rebellion, really? My mother says I have to be home by 11:00 sometimes. I guess I am somehow subconsciously angry at her and that is why I prefer to suck dicks. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was so confused!


No it is not a mental illness, and the idea that it might be is not shared by any major psychological institution. it is mostly an idea tossed about by angry conservatives and clergymen. But hey, I guess they know more about the human mind and its processes than all other major and recognized psychological institutions.

[Nation of Fortune]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort. However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing. My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

How is it a problem other than some people believe that homosexuality is "icky"?

[Avenio]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort.

Why? It's not a threat to one's health.

However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing.

Mmm. I'd bet 200 septims that your objections to it stem from 'gays are icky'.

My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

Gas chambers? Firing squads? How exactly is that?

[Vitaphone Racing]

I love how many people here in America view obesity as a disease/mental illness, but view homosexuality as a choice. There is no choice about it. It is not a lifestyle like obesity, it is an engrained part of a person that is with them from birth.

Addictions (including addictions to food) are a mental illness.

[Mavorpen]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort. However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing. My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

How is it a problem? It's not. It's not a mental illness, nor is it destructive to society unless you deem it so. The only mental help they may need is support from people who think being homosexual is a mental illness.

[Vitaphone Racing]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort. However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing. My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

How is it a problem? It's not. It's not a mental illness, nor is it destructive to society unless you deem it so. The only mental help they may need is support from people who think being homosexual is a mental illness understanding.

Fix'd

[Yuktova]

If it isn't a mental illness, then it must be a problem of some sort. However, this discussion is not about the morality of the thing. My view is that true homosexuals (not the people who just chose to be homosexual) should be treated the same way anyone who needs mental help should.

I'm pretry sure I don't need to be treated.

But I'm pretty sure that YOU may, because you seem highly insecure, thinking that gays are mentally ill. Hey, perhaps you're gay yourself!.
What was your parental environment like? Was mum not nice? Was dad not nice? Was the kids down the block not nice? Did they say stuff like, "Dem Gheys! Blah blah blah!"

[Galiantus]

Ah, but if the "normal" programming was homosexuality, people would have died out millions of years ago.

How so? Does homosexuality somehow inhibit one from producing offspring? Cause infertility, perhaps? Or, maybe, it's not primarily genetic in nature? Quelle horreur!

Therefore natural homosexuality is a disorder, because it does not benefit the human race in any way.

So does being tall, but I daresay you're not lining up the basketball players for the gas chambers anytime soon.

And I wouldn't line the physically disabled up just because they were of no use. Homosexuality I would treat the same way. Height is a physical characteristic, not a mental characteristic, and although it may cause problems it is physically unchangeable. Unlike homosexuality.