If you can jump through all the hoops, you probably aren't ill enough, and if you are ill enough, you can't jump through all the hoops. You have to use your brain/mind to explain that your brain/mind is not working very well. It's often called the "hoops paradox" or the "double bind of mental illness." This is a deep-seated issue within many mental health and disability support systems. The systems are often designed with an assumption of a baseline level of cognitive function, executive function, and energy that a person struggling with mental illness may simply not have.

Some key parts of this paradox include:

The "Proof" Problem: You are required to provide evidence of your struggles, but the very nature of the illness might make it difficult to gather that evidence. For example, severe depression can make it nearly impossible to fill out complex forms, keep appointments, or even make phone calls.

The Cognitive Dissonance: You have to use the very tools that are failing you (your mind, your memory, your executive function) to argue that they are failing. This can feel like a twisted test where success is based on a performance that the illness prevents.

The "Functional" Trap: If you manage to perform well enough to navigate the system—by overcoming immense internal barriers—it can be used as "proof" that you aren't actually "that ill." This completely ignores the monumental effort it took to even get to that point.

This paradox highlights a critical need for more compassionate and flexible systems that recognize the unique challenges of mental illness.

Gemini