Otherkin ≠ Mental Illness
A mental disorder (also called a mental illness, or psychiatric disorder) is a diagnosis, most often by a psychiatrist, of a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause suffering or a poor ability to function in life.
- Identifying as otherkin is not, by itself, mental illness.
- Identifying as otherkin is not, by itself, unhealthy.
- Identifying as otherkin is not, by itself, a delusion.
HOWEVER
- A person who identifies as otherkin may also have an unrelated mental illness.
- A person who identifies as otherkin and has a poor ability to function as a result, may be mentally ill.
- Identifying as otherkin is not an excuse for bad or anti-social behavior.
FURTHER
- It is not okay to bully and harass people who are mentally ill.
- It is not the job of random Tumblr users to determine if someone is mentally ill or not.
- The stigma that “mentally ill” people are “bad” or “crazy” is harmful and needs to end.
