mental illness?

[heslopian]

is this word offensive to anyone else?
i hear chains.
i would rather be called disabled.
these fables of crazy folk,
such a fucking joke?
when everyone else just loves to toke
and poop

Disabled feels like a more offensive word, to me, because "illness" as a word sounds ephemeral, whereas "disabled" implies a permanent lameness, like an absent limb or being French (just kidding), though of course offence is entirely subjective. In my opinion, labels are just that: labels. They're not a statement of philosophical or political attitudes any more than "baked beans" is. If I was suffering from depression I'd have no problem with people labelling me "mentally ill" (figuratively, I wouldn't want a forehead sticker), because I would be, in the same way that I wouldn't be annoyed if I had the flu and someone labelled me physically ill. Come to think of it, even "disabled" wouldn't be wrong, actually, because depression does impair your abilities.