Please stop. You're not helping us. You're hurting us. You're making us feel bad about ourselves because we feel like we have to fit in or conform to society to be accepted as human beings. It's hurting our self-esteem, and it can leave lasting consequences.
Parents and caregivers, when you put your child through ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), you're not only suppressing their traits that make them wonderfully unique, you're also making them feel bad about being who they are. This can lead to frustration for the child because they feel they don't have a way to express themselves, which is the reason for aggressive behaviors. In short: ABA does more harm than good.
Also, if your loved one is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, do not make them go to conversion therapy or any "ex-gay" ministries to try to make them heterosexual or cisgender. I firmly believe that the "ex-gay" movement is bogus. You can't just attend a couple of classes or sessions and be straight. It doesn't work that way. Plus, many people who have gone through conversion therapy have left there feeling worse about themselves than before. Many people have abused drugs or alcohol, harmed themselves in other ways, or even attempted suicide because they had such low feelings of self-worth.
And to the young people who are trying to pressure their peers into being "cooler", whether it's by smoking, drinking, doing drugs, having sex, or following the latest trends, stop. These are self-destructive suggestions, and today's youth already have enough academic and parental pressure. They don't need your input on how to live their lives. How someone chooses to live their life is a decision between them and God. Please stay out of it.
I've been through a hell of a lot of pressure to conform, by both adults and other kids throughout my life, and it's taken it's toll on me. I haven't gone through conversion therapy (thank God), but I have gone through schools that have ABA-like teachings, which has made me feel like I was a bad person because I'm Autistic. Plus, in the middle of the night, I used to cry and pray that God would take away my feelings for other girls, but I now realize that He created me this way for a reason. I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, however.
I'm also now trying to "re-learn" to be myself again, and by that I mean stimming freely, dressing the way I want, watching TV show and movies I like, etc.
I encourage everyone to just be themselves. Living to please other people does nothing but stress you out. It even causes depression, as it has in me. If I could go back in time, I would try my best to resist pressure to fit in. Even if I lose friends, at least I know I won't be under so much pressure to conform. And those people weren't my true friends anyway.
I believe that we were all made wonderfully and fearfully by a loving God, and He doesn't make mistakes. So whether you're LGBTQ, straight, cisgender, disabled, non-disabled Black, White, Latino/a, Asian, Native American, etc., you are special, and you are unique. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not worthy because you don't conform to the status quo. It's good to not conform.
Show your true colors!
And to the young people who are trying to pressure their peers into being "cooler", whether it's by smoking, drinking, doing drugs, having sex, or following the latest trends, stop. These are self-destructive suggestions, and today's youth already have enough academic and parental pressure. They don't need your input on how to live their lives. How someone chooses to live their life is a decision between them and God. Please stay out of it.
I've been through a hell of a lot of pressure to conform, by both adults and other kids throughout my life, and it's taken it's toll on me. I haven't gone through conversion therapy (thank God), but I have gone through schools that have ABA-like teachings, which has made me feel like I was a bad person because I'm Autistic. Plus, in the middle of the night, I used to cry and pray that God would take away my feelings for other girls, but I now realize that He created me this way for a reason. I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, however.
I'm also now trying to "re-learn" to be myself again, and by that I mean stimming freely, dressing the way I want, watching TV show and movies I like, etc.
I encourage everyone to just be themselves. Living to please other people does nothing but stress you out. It even causes depression, as it has in me. If I could go back in time, I would try my best to resist pressure to fit in. Even if I lose friends, at least I know I won't be under so much pressure to conform. And those people weren't my true friends anyway.
I believe that we were all made wonderfully and fearfully by a loving God, and He doesn't make mistakes. So whether you're LGBTQ, straight, cisgender, disabled, non-disabled Black, White, Latino/a, Asian, Native American, etc., you are special, and you are unique. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not worthy because you don't conform to the status quo. It's good to not conform.
Show your true colors!
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