Loss of friends after pyschosis. What now?

The year of 2016, I went through an intense psychosis. I began posting obscenities on social media and was admitted into inpatient treatment on two occasions. I have fully stabilized on medications and am very functional. I currently live with family and am receiving SSDI. My friends at the time were very supportive during my episode but afterwards they ceased contact. I have no friends now. I joined this site to gain input on my situation and also reach out to others!

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There was a time in my life that I had no friends at all. Same situation as you. It was really tough. But then over time I made new ones. And I’m happier with these friends than my old friends. It’ll be okay. Maybe try volunteering or working or something if you wanna meet friends. And Welcome to the board.

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Welcome to the forum! :blush:

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Hey I’m right there with u. I live at home with my parents, on disability, and no one talks to me anymore. It sucks bc I used to be someone worth talking to, I had pretty prominent friends. But then I went psychotic and scared the crap out of myself and them. It’s so embarrassing if I have to think about seeing them ever- which I don’t have to- but still. I noticed posting on this forum helps make you feel like you have a handle on things. I don’t know about meeting any new friends yet- it’s still hard for me to function on the medication I’m on. It’s scary bc I can’t live the rest of my life like this. What helps is exercise for your self esteem and stuff. Maybe get a pen pal. One thing I’ll say is I would have made fun of anyone who had nothing to do in life but post on a forum for online support… but look at me now. It socks but we have to reframe everything. I think of everything I did In the past as my old self- now I just take time to text the one friend I do have, meet her occasionally, and I do post on here frequently. I would start crying if I knew that in 10 years I could have friends and actually enjoy a couple of activities including hanging out with them. It’s all the stuff I used to do that I held for granted. But now that I think about it I’m goin to make that my goal. If I got a job I would die being surprised by myself. So just work on you don’t worry about the friends just yet.

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A couple of things:

You may be young, but social media friends aren’t real friends. I understand a whole generation of people have been brought up on likes and stranger approval, but they are lacking. That’s not real! That is the cyberworld which is akin to me reading a book and thinking the characters loved or liked me for reading it. If they were your true friends they would have visited you in the hospital. They would have stayed in contact and supported you, They didn’t. They were never real or permanent, but a transient reflection on how society has become, especially for the young.

The reality is is that humans have a few friends, mostly under 5 that are true and permanent throughout the whole of their lives. If you want proof of this then look to the old who are blighted by the last decades of their lives without anyone. They spend weeks and months alone without a conversation. It is fact, google it. it is true their friends die, their loved ones die, but they soon become alone.

Now, the grim reality of the young becomes realised, you need to find true friends and true contact. The online world is less than likely to provide that. You need to join clubs. You need to engage with like minded people who share your interests. That takes effort and commitment and the brave steps of diving into it.

It is difficult to participate with sz, I know, but you say you are functional so not so hard. Finding others who share who you are and what you like will be key to your future happiness. So stride forward and belong. :slight_smile:

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Welcome Miss! You’ll make new friends! :slight_smile:

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Welcome aboard @Miss! :slight_smile:

I am sorry to hear you lost your friends @Miss
May you find new friends soon!

Welcome!

I would give you some advice, but I never really had many friends to lose.

Losing friends is a part of it. There are IRL support groups like NAMI if you would like to go.

I would keep it to myself if meeting new people outside of a support group. Sz and others like it are heavily stigmatized so telling new friends upfront is something i would not do.

Depression or ADHD or social anxeity are the socially acceptable mental illnesses. So you can use those if anyone remarks on your behavior (such as being forgetful).

Try volunteering to meet new people.

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What exactly is NAMI, never heard of it before? Also you don’t disclose you have a serious mental illness when meeting others?

If they ceased contact with you afterwards then they were never your friends in the first place. You don’t need people like that in your life.

No, they were genuine friends who visited me in the hospital the first time I was admitted. They also we’re very supportive during my delusions. I don’t know what made them cease contact after I got better…

Welcome to the forum :sunny:

I know the feeling. But I’ve never had friends. With attempts I made all I do is push people further away.

Youre not alone. Hope everything gets better.

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NAMI - Nation Alliance of Mental Illness

It is an organization that has many locations where people meet. Some even supply therapy and support.

They have a website that will show you if there is a group meeting near you.

No, I dont tell anyone, except here what I have. All It would do is spook them.
But I dont why i would it is a health problem like any other.

" Hi, I am Macy. Glad to meet you. I have “x”.

See what I mean? Just doesnt go over well no matter if it is pimple, COPD, or Sz.

Welcome to the forum.

I do the same. Idk why. Maybe it has something to do with protecting myself from getting hurt? Who knows.

I’m also now living with my parents and on disability. Most of my friends cut off contact when I went to hospital. So I didn’t have friends anymore, though I’ve got 1 or 2 new ones since

Are you interested in making contact with them again? Since they already know what happened, it might not be so hard.

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