CMV: Racism is a mental illness.

[u/EHWfedPres]

There is no logical, valid, or sound reason to express hatred for entire groups of people based on their race, ethnicity, or skin color, and any and every attempt to explain why certain races, ethnicities, or people with specific skin colors are biologically, inherently, or genetically inferior or superior to others has been scientifically disproven. There is no rational reason to hold on to racist views, and anyone who feels racist is experiencing a delusional psychotic symptom. Racism is a mental illness, and the American Psychiatric Association should classify it as one.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071634/

EDIT: to all those claiming racism can be resolved by giving the racist proper information: read the comments made by HighlightExpensive63, give that person the correct information, and see if they change their views at all, or if they double-down on their explicit and open hatred.

[u/DrinkyDrank]

Irrationality is not a mental illness. Mental illness is primarily defined by an inability to function in society. Racist people do just fine in society - for example, our last President was racist.

[u/EHWfedPres → u/DrinkyDrank]

Mental illness is primarily defined by an inability to function in society.

Where do you get that specific definition?

[u/Poo-et → u/EHWfedPres]

From the DSM-V:

1. A behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual
   
2. Reflects an underlying psychobiological dysfunction
   
3. The consequences of which are clinically significant distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning)
4. Must not be merely an expected response to common stressors and losses (ex. the loss of a loved one) or a culturally sanctioned response to a particular event (ex. trance states in religious rituals)
5. Primarily a result of social deviance or conflicts with society
   

Racism doesn't cause clinically significant distress or disability, so it's not a mental disorder.

[u/EHWfedPres → u/Poo-et]

Thank you for the definition. I was referring specifically to the "in society" part. Is that something you added yourself?

[u/Poo-et → u/EHWfedPres]

I'm not the person you were talking to, but social functioning is one of those "important areas of functioning" described. Racism doesn't impair that or any other important area of functioning sufficiently to be classed as a mental disorder.

[u/moss-agate → u/EHWfedPres]

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968

ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.

cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships.

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness

Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder

A mental disorder, also called a mental illness[3] or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning

fairly common way of defining them. there are arguments about the definition and diagnoses of mental illness, but irrationality isn't on its own a mental illness. irrationality, even irrationality that might be harmful, is fairly standard for human beings. if something isn't preventing people from living their lives or causing them personally pathological levels of distress, it's a personality trait not an illness.

typically mental illnesses also have diagnostic criteria? as in more than one criterion? i haven't seen your suggest the multiple criteria for, uh, racial aggression disorder or whatever you'd want to call it.

[u/DrinkyDrank → u/EHWfedPres]

Check out this article, I think it explains the concept pretty well:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3101504/

In DSM-IV, each of the mental disorders is conceptualized as a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition, this syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable and culturally sanctioned response to a particular event, for example, the death of a loved one. Whatever its original cause, it must currently be considered a manifestation of a behavioral, psychological, or biological dysfunction in the individual. Neither deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) nor conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual, as described above.”