In this episode, we unpack the pervasive ideology of sanism. This ideology frames people struggling with mental health issues as "lacking", “abnormal”, or "less than”, ultimately justifying the application of carceral logic within mental health.

We explore what sanism looks like in practice: from everyday language (e.g., the use of "crazy") and media portrayals (like representations of DID, or characters like the Joker) to the pathologizing language used in psychology (such as "psychopathology" and "disorder").

The perpetuation of "normal" ultimately pathologizes anyone who doesn't conform, giving systems the power to isolate these individuals, who are often historically minoritized and marginalized people, and take away agency and choice in the name of “community safety”. This system also often frames vulnerable people with so-called “severe mental health issues” as dangerous, even though they are more likely to be the recipients of violence. We also discuss the historical and current harms perpetuated by the psychiatric system.

Finally, we look at the history of resistance, including the anti-psychiatry movement, the fight for non-carceral, community-based care championed by Basaglia in Italy in the 1970s, and the Mad Pride movement.

References / People / Topics mentioned in the episode:

Chamberlin, J. (1978). On our own: Patient-controlled alternatives to the mental health system. McGraw-Hill.

Disability Deep Dive podcast episode: History of the Mad Movement with Vesper Moore https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/podcast/story/episode_65

Hart, T. (2023). Mad Pride: Spinning hope from fear by Tamara Hart. Asylum Magazine Accessed on May 6th, 2026 at: https://asylummagazine.org/2023/09/mad-pride-spinning-hope-from-fear-by-tamara-hart

Foot J. (2014). Franco Basaglia and the radical psychiatry movement in Italy, 1961-78. Critical and radical social work, 2(2), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1332/204986014X14002292074708 Accessed on May 6th, 2026 at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4430803/

Ralley, O. J. D. (2012). The rise of anti-psychiatry: A historical review. History of Medicine Online. Accessed on May 6th, 2026 at: https://www.priory.com/history_of_medicine/Anti-Psychiatry.htm

Rashed M. A. (2020). The Identity of Psychiatry and the Challenge of Mad Activism: Rethinking the Clinical Encounter. The Journal of medicine and philosophy, 45(6), 598–622. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmp/jhaa009 Accessed on May 6th at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7703744/

Tawa, K. (2024). Forced ≠ Treatment: Carceral Strategies in Mental Health. Published by the Center for Law and Social Policy. Accessed on May 6th, 2026 at: https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Final-Forced-Treatment-Report_final.pdf

Resources on Mad Pride &/or non-carceral mental health approaches:

BEAM - Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective: https://beam.community/

Center for Mad Culture:

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