Brains are organs

 

I've been stewing hatefully about the meme on the left for a while, so I made a rebuttal.

Image: Left panel, which has been crossed out with a red x: Tumblr post by Corduroy-Jackalope: The brain is an organ. Mental illnesses are illnesses of that organ. Brain scans show that there is a physical difference between a healthy brain and a sick brain. Telling someone "You're not really sick. It's all in your head." is like telling someone with asthma "It's not real, it's all in your lungs." The brain is an organ that can malfunction as much as any other organ.
Tumblr post by Gnarlywalls: Please read this over and over and over.

Right panel, in red lettering: The brain is an organ. Organs differ in size, shape, and chemical function. Just as people have different heights, body shapes, and skin colors, people have different brains.

"Mental illness" is the pathologizing label that our ableist, neurobigoted, kyriarchical society places on brains and social behavior that deviate from a perceived norm.

There are no physical differences between a "healthy brain" and a "sick brain." There are just physical differences between brains. We are not required to conceptualize difference as "illness."

Neurodivergence is not asthma of the brain, or diabetes of the brain, or a broken leg of the brain. It's neurodivergence. Nothing is "malfunctioning" or "broken." We're born this way. This is the way we're supposed to be. Accept us.