Right now all I can really think of is when I was in washington d.c. the people at my job were chatting and said that someone who did a stabbing in the metro was probably schizophrenic and that people with schizophrenia are usually violent. Also recently I think I had a job offer revoked because they knew about my schizophrenia due to testing at a clinic. Anyone else have bad experience with stigma associated with schizophrenia? I wonder if I need to always keep quiet about it or lose whatever my next job will be.
I once had a therapist refuse to treat me because I said I was schizophrenic and she got up and said that we “weren’t a good fit.”
I had a job interview rescinded after I innocently asked if I should bring in my DOR job paperwork to the interview since I had a hidden disability (didn’t even mention sz, but I guess that “hidden” was enough to send her into a tizzy of neverminds).
I’ve had at minimum two cops pull me over and ask if I was on medication and when I answered yes, they asked what for so I told them sz and they got me out of the car and demanded to know why I was driving–I shouldn’t be driving. I had to tell them my doctor okayed it and they didn’t let go, like she knows? and i was like yea once i parked in front of her window and we talked about my car problems. she knows.
Other than that, I keep it secret so nobody else can hurt me through discrimination
last time i mention schizophrenia to a cop or a disability to an employer!
@HQuinn Cops are not our friends!
One of the only times that I’ve encountered stigma is from my adopted 10 year old sister. In a conversation with my 2 youngest brothers she said, “now I’m hearing voices.” She is older now, but still just as ugly to me.
That reminds me when I was doing an REU I first started hearing voices. The cops were called and they told me stop texting them about the people above me in a menacing manner. Asked me if I was taking my pills. They told me it would be safer to check out of the university. At the time and for the longest time I thought they were in the cartel.(Of course I’m missing all the details of the story to have this make sense).
once I was bullied on a website because someone knew I was schizophrenic and there was a rumour.
Generally - I no longer tell anybody. If something is out - I say I have OCD and anxiety.
I am not sure I got fired twice - maybe they figured there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t focus at all.
I have done just one single violent thing when I was a kid and that was a reaction for someone hitting me - I think a girl pulled my hair or something. and I just hit her back or pulled her hair?! During psychosis I was just so angry all the time. But nothing violent. like ever.
I had a bitchy friend tell everyone she knew that I had sz.
Am still really angry.
I think there is soft stigma in my life, like relatives not treating me normally because they know I have a mental illness.
The only real stigma I have encountered was with my old pdoc. he spoke down to me and was deliberately patronizing. He obviously doesn’t think very highly of people who have psychotic disorders and made that very clear in his treatment of me. Glad that azzhole is out of my life.