I’d just like to remind people about that. Suffering from an episode of psychosis does not necessarily mean a person is or will be violent. Of course, if a person is psychotic it is usually best to seek treatment or help from a professional. Sometimes that means going to the hospital involuntarily. I just dislike that sometimes the average person equates the word psychotic to being somehow overly aggressive or violent. That is not always the case. Sometimes it just means losing touch with reality, being unable to differentiate between what is and what is not.
It sounds slightly nicer to say, “I was suffering from an episode of psychosis.” As opposed to “I was psychotic.” Darn shame too. In the eyes of some people we’ll always be psychos. Don’t ever let yourself believe that. We are people that have a brain disease. Not weak minded, not weak willed, and while under treatment not anymore dangerous than the average person. Without medication we’re about as dangerous as people on street drugs. That doesn’t mean everyone is violent or dangerous. If anything statistics show that we are more likely to be a danger to ourselves than a danger to others.
1 in 10 people who suffer from schizophrenia commit suicide. This is more likely to happen during the first 10 years after initially being diagnosed. Let’s strive to lessen that. I think despite the tragic statistic, making others aware of that could lessen the stigma and bring some much needed sympathy when the word schizophrenic is thrown around.
