Do you think the physically disabled have more support?

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Do you think the physically disabled get more support/sympathy/understanding/empathy then those with mental disabilities? Not just autism, everything from depression to breif recurrent depression.

Yes, because its easier to see physical disabilities, and its easier to see them being treated. Also, people can't go up to a physically disabled person and say "You just acting stupid, grow up already."

They can see whats wrong with you if its physical. they think they can imagine what it would be like. Its not your fault your got hit by that car or so on. But anything mental peoples mind go right to full dumb ret*d.

It's easy to understand "can't walk" whereas most people have trouble understanding "can't take bright colors" "needs things to be in groups of ten" and so on. They can imagine having the physical disabilitys, but cant think themselves into our heads.

Yes I've noticed this they seem to get more help, whereas anyone with a learning or mental problem just gets left.

Recent blog post re. this subject--
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com/100935.html

Thank you for the question and the comments.

I'm always told my PTSD and depression are my fault. You get used to it after a while.,

16 out of 16 poll respondents so far believe that people with physical disabilities receive more support than people with mental disabilities.

I think that it's because physical disabilities are easily verified, while mental disabilities (or lack thereof) can easily be faked.

It's easy to see when a man has no legs, but it is not always so obvious when a man has clinical depression.

I don't know which type of disability receives more support. I really think it varies from person to person, who is able to obtain support and who isn't, what services are available for different disabilities in your area. However, I imagine that a physical disanility might oftentimes be noticed and treated earlier than a mental disability.

I don't know which type of disability receives more support. I really think it varies from person to person, who is able to obtain support and who isn't, what services are available for different disabilities in your area. However, I imagine that a physical disanility might oftentimes be noticed and treated earlier than a mental disability.

People with physical disabilities aren't told and/or lead to beleive that their problems are all their own fault.

I don't see why anyone would want to "fake" clinical depression. Most of the time it's the exact opposite. People are afraid to even face the fact that they are clinically depressed for fear of ridicule. After all, the common American belief is that only "weak" people succumb to depression. As if you ever hear people being attacked as "weak" for succumbing to a physical illness.

The rare time you see people faking mental illness are those who want to claim insanity defense after committing a violent crime.

Or when they'd prefer to have a more disabling mental disability than the one they have because the one they have is viewed even more negative than the more disabling one. In some groups being autistic isn't nearly as negative as anxiety and depression.

This leads to "no you're not autistic, you only have anxiety" because of people with "just" anxiety and depression having pretended to be autistic instead. People are really strange sometimes.

Yep, pretty much this. Nor are they told to grow sparkling new body parts to replace any of the ones they have lost or never had.

Not everyone who claims insanity after committing a violent crime is faking, and insanity as a defense isn't much of one: People who successfully claim insanity don't get a sentence, but get committed until their doctors decide they're healthy enough to leave. On average, people committed for violent crime as determined to be caused by their insanity spend twice as long in institutions as people convicted of a violent crime spend in prison.

The one person I know in real life who successfully claimed insanity really was having a psychotic episode when he committed the crimes he was arrested for, and it looks like he'll be institutionalized for some time.

As for the question: I don't think that people with physical disabilities are necessarily treated better. I would say more, but I'll just point back to Callista's blog post on the subject.