In “The Origin and Birth of Menhera”, it was explained that the term originates in 2ch’s mental health board and has been used as label by its members.
However, it also explained how the term was abused in a somewhat negative connection. “Menhera Kei (Menhera-type)” is casually used in the meaning of “troublesome woman” or “attention whore”.
Why did “Menhera” as the name of a board’s userbase aquire such a drogatory term, too?
A survey previously done at Menhera.jp shows that this phenomenon began to occur around 2008. Since the establishment of “Menheru” as name of 2ch’s mental health board in 2001, after the establishment of “Menhera” as nickname for its users, it seems that the term spread outside of the mental health board at some point.
According to Mr. Toyori Kuma, a psychiatrist, while the rise of social networks, influenced by the popularity of the character type named “Yandere”, it seems like the misuse of the term “Menhera” began to appear around the late 00s.
Instead of refering to someone that seeks mental well-being, some people began to call certain mental illnesses and pathologies “Menhera”. Menhera=BPD, self-harm, overdosing…and so on. Although it wasn’t supposed to refer to a specific gender, people who associated Menhera with a kind of woman also started to appear.
Characters that appear in pop culture works also seem to have played a role in the other meaning of Menhera. In the late 00s, just when the term Menhera began to spread among the population, in the world of anime and visual novels, under the label “Yandere”, a character type defined by being overly attached and in a love-hate relationship started to increase in popularity. Even while Menhera and Yandere aren’t the same, many people thought that those terms have almost the same meaning as some places used them interchangeable.
Expansion into Characters and Fashion
Derived from the above trend, works that depict “Menhera” as Yandere-like* character also started to appear.
A yonkoma series named “Menhera-chan” was running from 2008-10 and published in two volumes later on.
Illustrations named “Menhera Shoujo” have also become popular on Twitter.
This would not only affect the world of fiction, but also the fashion culture of the real world. The “Kawaii Culture” of Harajuku was most affected by the previously mentioned Yandere-like* imagery and would give birth to the “Yamikawaii” aesthetic, it then integrated into its fashion culture.
Currently, the association of Menhera with Yamikawaii is strong, the direct cause for that seems to be the creation of Bisuko Ezaki’s “Menhera-chan”.
Menhera-chan brought the term “Menhera” into Kawaii Culture, this also had a big impact on the side of Menhera. One of the influences on the term was that it emphasized the external aspects associated with mental health issues (medicine, self-harm), and as a result, the association with mostly internal struggles (negative thoughts) was diluted.
In the end, the image of the term “Menhera” has slightly changed from before Menhera-chan, and the external aspects started to be more common.
In other words, besides the usage as a label, “Menhera” has been associated with
- a derogatory term for “troublesome attention whore”
- cute vent art featuring chibi-like characters
- a character type similar* to yandere
- a type of fashion
- self-diagnosed
- attention whore
- posts photos and videos of self-harm to the internet
- abuses the term Menhera all day
- fear of being abadoned
- impulsive behavior
- unstable social relations
- repeated treating of self-harm or suicide
Therefore, the term “Menhera” has some sort of ambiguity.
This site, menhera.jp, adheres to the original usage as a label for “a person that seeks mental well-being”, but although we inform about the meaning, there are still instances where “Menhera” is used like a personality trait.
This ambiguity leads to problems such as “Wannabe Menhera”, which will be explained in the next part.
(*translator’s note: this refers to the kind of girl that will hurt herself over unrequited love)
Wannabe Menhera (ファッションメンヘラ), True Menhera (ガチメンヘラ)
In the previous parts, it was explained that “Menhera” refers to “a person that seeks mental well-being”, we explained the flow that lead to an ambiguity for certain reasons.
Menhera as “troublesome attention whore”. Menhera as “a person that seeks mental well-being”.
Recently, in order to distinguish between these two, the terms “Wannabe Menhera” and “True Menhera” started to get used. In other words, the basic concept is that the people who only cause trouble are “Wannabe Menhera” while “True Menhera” are those who are truly suffering and want to get better.
It seems like this was started by actual “Menhera” in order to counter the ambiguity of the term from spreading further.
However, the concept of “Wannabe Menhera” and “True Menhera”, we think that it results in more suffering than it does help the involved parties.
Don’t you think there is a “grey zone” when it comes to physical and psychological illness?
There is this border where a person isn’t really sure if they are “suffering”.
Also, people often have to hear cruel things like “You aren’t sick” and “You only make this up”.
It is really hard to tell if you are really suffering.
The same applies to counting yourself as Menhera. Where does “Wannabe Menhera” start and where does “True Menhera” end?
This will give someone in the grey zone a hard time.
My suicide ended in failure, I came back to see hell.
Taking into account my suicide attempt and degree of self-harm, I think I should visit the hospital soon, but I don’t think my suffering is serious enough for it, I’m worried they will just send me home.
I haven’t gone to the hospital yet because I’m afraid that they will think I’m just faking a depression.
But I think I’m suffering.
He was thinking “my suffering is not enough for it” even though he was just transported to the hospital after a suicide attempt, this kind of person maybe could mistake themself as “Wannabe Menhera”.
For those who are self-punishing, the term Wannabe Menhera could also function as a punishment along the lines of “You aren’t suffering enough yet”.
Wannabe Menhera also have Mental Health Issues
Is it even necessary to distinguish “a person that seeks mental well-being” from those labeled “troublesome attention whore” in the first place? Isn’t a Wannabe Menhera also a kind of a suffering person? We guess so.
Do you know what “Wannabe Menhera” means?
There is no official definition, but as far as you can see on Twitter:
There is a signs that someone like this may be in need of mental health care.
Wannabe Menhera is distinguished from Menhera (so-called “True” Menhera) due to the history of misrepresentation on social networks, like Twitter, by posting self-diagnosis, self-harm, and picking up fights with strangers for no reason.
Below, the various types of people with personality disorders in the mental health board:
A: “I tend to strange behavior, similar to schizophrenia. “
B: “I tend to extreme and outrageous behavior.”
C: “I feel anxiety and fear”
It is divided into three groups and those are divided into another 10 each. Among them, the most famous is type B, with “borderline personality disorder” and “narcissistic personality disorder”.
Further, features common with those two disorders:
What, wait a minute? Doesn’t this sound similar to “Wannabe Menhera?
As pointed out in this article, many of the features of “Wannabe Menhera” can be attributed to personality disorders. Many people with personality disorders have to deal with difficulties and pain in their lives. They are also suffering from mental health issues but, however, those who don’t seek improvement aren’t Menhera.
The Chance of Menhera as a Subculture
Why are we strongly committed to how “Menhera” should be used? That’s because we use the term “Menhera” for connecting with each other.
In the psychatric field, illnesses often change their name and overlap because their symptoms are defined by a person’s daily activity, and even if you always explain the same symptoms to a doctor, it can happen…that the name of your illness changes unexpectedly.
As long as doctors say “Don’t doubt my diagnosis! It can only be this illness!”, even if the patient can explain the suffering as depression, there are cases where the symptoms overlap with multiple illnesses, and it’s not easy to explain your suffering only by naming your diagnosis.
In contrast, Menhera is a slang term. No matter what your diagnosis is, you can always call yourself Menhera.
Menhera stays Menhera no matter how the definition or name of your illness changes. Even those who don’t have a diagnosis can feel free to call themself Menhera as long as they seek mental well-being in some way or another.
This kind of thing would be impossible with formal names. Ambiguous, precisely because the term was coined by regular people, there is such a wide range in the term Menhera.
All Menhera are same in the sense that they seek mental well-being. However, everyone’s suffering is different, there are diagnosed and undiagnosed people, every age and gender, different life situations, and spread all over the world. There won’t be something like a solution that works for everyone’s problems.
Nevertheless, through spreading Menhera in the forms of art, fashion, and music, by peacefully “connecting” with new friends and knowledge, I think that the situation of all involved parties will improve step by step. I’m convinced that “connecting” without forgetting the differences is certainly not a bad thing.
In the field of psychiatry, the diagnosis is often going to be depression. Even with the same diagnosis name, the situation of individual parties varies depending on age, home environment, income, gender, and so on.
Because of this, in the subject of mental health, it is extremely difficult to make a “connection”. However, isn’t “Menhera” the term that possesses the potential to make it possible? The Menhera community thinks this way.
Everyone is different, everyone is suffering, so somehow we will make it thru this together!
Menhera.jp defines the term “Menhera” as “a person that seeks mental well-being” based on such thoughts, and we hope to provide a broad “connection” through a broad but informal slang.
Psychiatrist Commentary
In times where “Menhera” is used casually by some, it is important to remember that the root of Menhera is “suffering”.
Studies have shown that mental health issues can be caused by personal relationships, “Menhera” also covers those who have problems in getting along with others.
hen life is hard and painful, you need a place as escape.
If you say “I’m suffering” and you’re responded with “It’s like this for everyone”, where should those feelings go?
That feeling will probably start to consume you, making it harder and more painful. I think that Menhera was born as this escape.
“I’m suffering nowadays, but I’m scared of being denied that”, so you might as well express yourself as “I am Menhera”.
It seems like people who feel bad, but are denied of their feelings, tend to have difficulty living.
Although you are sad and crying, you’re claiming “My life is fine, I have no reason to feel sad” and deny your natural emotions, but I think you don’t deserve to treat yourself like this.
Menhera may have been born as the right place for you to express the circumstances of your suffering.
Also, I think that it is a very good thing that the term Menhera covers a wide range of suffering.
You don’t suffer alone. Won’t it help you to know people that share the same hardships?
Nobody is alone in the Menhera community, it is an established place to share your pain and suffering, and I think it might be more effective than only drowning your suffering in medication.
- Dr. Yurui, psychatrist and life consultatant