high functioning and low functioning are both common medical term which are actually very harmful to use.
they're often used to measure how easy disabled people are to interact with and not actually how their disorder affects them.
when someone is labelled as high functioning, people assume they have no struggles whatsoever, so they don't look out for them. and then they might have a meltdown or burnout because they've had to push through those feelings all of the time.
and when someone is labelled as low functioning, people assume they're stupid or something along those lines, so they baby low functioning people. even when they're full-grown adults!
(when i use the term "disabled" i mean anyone who is affected by a learning disability or anything similar, if my usage of this term comes off as offensive, just know that i apologise, but i am saying all of this as a disabled person, so ofc i wouldn't use that term to purposefully harm anyone!)
they're often used to measure how easy disabled people are to interact with and not actually how their disorder affects them.
when someone is labelled as high functioning, people assume they have no struggles whatsoever, so they don't look out for them. and then they might have a meltdown or burnout because they've had to push through those feelings all of the time.
and when someone is labelled as low functioning, people assume they're stupid or something along those lines, so they baby low functioning people. even when they're full-grown adults!
(when i use the term "disabled" i mean anyone who is affected by a learning disability or anything similar, if my usage of this term comes off as offensive, just know that i apologise, but i am saying all of this as a disabled person, so ofc i wouldn't use that term to purposefully harm anyone!)
Person 1: so you have high functioning autism?
Person 2: on the outside that may be true for you, but on the inside life is very difficult for me, so i'd prefer if you didn't force functioning labels on me and just do your best to support me instead.
P1: oh crap, sorry man, thanks for explaining
Person 2: on the outside that may be true for you, but on the inside life is very difficult for me, so i'd prefer if you didn't force functioning labels on me and just do your best to support me instead.
P1: oh crap, sorry man, thanks for explaining
by eboybur June 11, 2022
Get the functioning labels mug.The cognitive distortion where, once a person is diagnosed with a mental illness, given a political label, or otherwise categorized, everything they subsequently do or say is interpreted through that label. Their rational arguments become "symptoms," their emotions become "proof of instability," and their identity is reduced to the diagnosis.
Example: A politician with a known anxiety disorder criticizes a policy. Opponents immediately frame it: "She's just having a panic attack about change. Her critique isn't logical, it's pathological." The clothing label bias uses the diagnosis as a pre-emptive discount on all future speech, confusing the person for the condition.
by Dumu The Void February 9, 2026
Get the Clothing Label Bias mug.