Can people tell that you have a mental disorder when they are around you?

Lowes Home Improvement store sent out a guy yesterday to hang new blinds in my parent’s home. I was over there when he was working. The guy obviously had some sort of issue. He kept talking to himself and kept getting really angry, raising his voice when talking to himself. It made everyone a bit uncomfortable.

Although I have Paranoid SZ, I’ve always been very aware of how I act in public. I tend to be pretty good about having people not see a problem; even when I’m not on medication. In fact, if we were ever to meet, you would never guess I had SZ. I can only do this for a very short time before the anxiety gets overwhelming and I start acting differently. Now I rarely go out because of the paranoia, so that makes it easier.

Since I have never physically been around anyone else with SZ (that I know of) I don’t have a reference point. I’m curious, how do you act in public? Are you able to hold your stuff together? Or are there definite signs of the disorder?

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I am able to completely hide it so no-one has the faintest idea I have it and I thank god for this ability. I really feel sorry for people with negative symptoms that give it away.

The big problem I have is everyone denying that I am ill.

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I don’t think people can. I saw a pdoc three weeks ago he told me he wouldn’t have a clue if I walked into a room in a party. But sometimes I do feel I do give it away maybe that’s in my head though.

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People say they would have never guessed that I had schizophrenia. I seem more like I have antisocial personality (commonly known as psychopathy or sociopathy) because I look like it and sometimes act like it. I actually did test for it when I was evaluated but my scz confounded it.

I come off as just really ■■■■-together and a bit of a black sheep. I wear all black every day, sometimes a red polo on special occasions.

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I’m curious, why do you wear black all the time? Do you just like the color or does it have a deeper meaning to you?

People know that I have schizophrenia,since I move back and forth in my seat and can’t hold still all the time. When I am in school I will be walking back and forth the room constantly and yes I will talk to myself occasionally.

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I have deeper meaning to the colors I wear; I only wear red, white and black. They stand for things that come in threes, like the ego, Id and superego, among other things. Black is the ego, red is the Id, white is the superego. The three also symbolize honor in Japanese culture- lots of protagonists in manga and anime exhibit the colors. There are other meanings I find in the colors too, but I could ramble for a seriously long time.

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I pace when I get nervous and I talk to myself all the time, but only when I’m alone. Can you help talking to yourself or is it done subconsciously?

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That’s very cool.

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I talk to myself in private but never outside of the house or car.

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I try to keep everything organized and together. If im in public by myself ill always bring headphones for music cause without the music i start talking to myselff and people start looking at me funny. Music really helps with my public appearance

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i dont know how other people view me… but i’ve been told i look like a statue or robotic /stiff. i dont know if that’s SZ related. i only laugh or talk to myself in private.

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Im the same way people think im just asocial or a recluse. But i didn’t know that about the Japanese and color interesting info. But i also have meaning in the colors i wear. I wear a lot of blues and “cool” colors to show off my personality

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They can’t tell when I’m on meds, but people can definitely know when I’m off them; my friends who know about my dx will ask me if I’ve taken my medication, and other people around me that don’t know my dx will ask if I’m okay and say that I look sick (like, physically). I think people can sense it.

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Exact same here…

I think people can tell something is up. But I am 13 and go to school with a bunch of ignorant ■■■■■. People see me talking to “myself” (sometimes it is someone muttering at me and sometimes I get so deep in an imaginary conversation without any voices), they see me staring, wandering, getting angry, not responding. They see it in my eyes. People who understand depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, can probably get a decent idea of what is going on.

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Hi Jake! Im guessin ur new here so welcome! And i used to do that in high school too so ur not alone there and don’t worry about people in school i went to a school where people were jerks too

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Hi! Yes, as of today I am new. Yeah, I notice people staring at me for acting strange, which as you may guess doesn’t exactly help the paranoia.

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What helped me with that was asking “what are u looking at stop staring i know im cute but its rude.” It kind of put the pressure back on them.

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Haha I really like that (:
I don’t know if I’m able to though. I am terrified of these people. I get so paranoid and so in my own world that I can not communicate. Plus you wouldn’t understand even if I did speak - especially in those moments my thought and speech are too disorganized.

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