Do you tell people about your illness?

DX'd - Other
1

I prefer not to say anything about my illness.But something not so good happened at my workplace. How do I tell this? My workplace is a special kind of business where only people with disabilities work. The disabilities are not only mental, but one coworker said that there is someone in the business who has schizophrenia Joined the business three weeks ago. As soon as she said that, I was scared. I thought she was talking about me because I also joined the business a week ago.

So what did my empty head do? I went where my manager and boss were And I asked them how it happened that people knew my diagnosis if it was the most private thing there is. They told me they didn’t even know about anyone’s diagnosis at work and they told me that more people had joined the business in the last three weeks. They told me that no one could know that, so I thought for a while and suddenly I found out that someone else has the same disease at my workplace.

Now I’m afraid to go back to work because people might, and I’m sure they know about my illness, and I didn’t want anyone to know that.

The advantage is that at least I know of someone who has the same disease as me and he told our colleagues about his illness.

But what happens is that even if there is someone with the same disease, I am ashamed and a little nervous that people know it.

I exposed myself. I’m dumb

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2

Only sometimes. Nothing to hide but yea it’s my choice. Some people are dumb and I’m not gonna open myself up so dumb people can say dumb stuff. People do discriminate but not everyone. So I tell people if I want to and don’t when I don’t.

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3

I just say I had a massive burn out, people tend to understand since I worked in a mentally taxing job. I have not experienced psychosis or anything like that for the last 6 years so nobody notices something. But I have had bad reactions in saying I was schizophrenic. You could say you are vulnerable for psychotic thinking it takes the load of the stereotype of schizophrenia

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4

No most people think its stupid myths and they stick to it even if you explain

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5

Nope no ney I have stopped saying it to people, doctors don’t understand it well then how will normies understand. Only a sz can understand another.

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6

I’m embarrassingly open about my illness,

I mean, I don’t go into details, like what my delusions or visual hallucinations are…

But lots of people know and I don’t really care.

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7

I wish I had that amount of self-esteem​:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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8

I’m open about it with employers. Either I add value to the enterprise or I don’t. As someone with a good record of adding value and an excellent skill stack, I’m worth hiring no matter what my labels are. Their loss if they don’t. I have a good job with decent pay right now despite my employer knowing my health issues. I should also add they recruited me through LinkedIn.

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9

Can’t say re employment, as I’ve never had a paid job. I’m quite open about it online.

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10

Nope. My philosophy has always been: Why tell someone something that they’re only going to use against me?

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11

I think someone you are seriously dating needs to know at some point.

Anyone I live with needs to know cause they will notice my odd behavior sometimes.

But acquaintances, friends, people at church, distant family or employers don’t need to know.

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12

Sometimes. If I deem them to be close to me, I tell them; i think it’s kinda like a right to know

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13

I tell most everyone about my diagnosis. Maybe I don’t realize that they take it the wrong way.

14

I don’t tell anyone other than a select few family members and most of my doctors that I visit on a regular basis.

Other than that it’s no one’s business

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15

Everyone in this town knows I am. Cos the question always pops up as to why I am not working.

It’s a double edged sword, you will get the arm chair alcoholic calling you a lazy git in the bar, but some are actually quite understanding.

I’ve always been about educating people about schizophrenia so they are at ease about it.

Us blokes on here seriously must have had the odd woman do a runner when you told them when dating? Cos I have lol.

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16

That’s an easy one: no.

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17

I really don’t care, I don’t have to work anymore. When I used to work my colleagues were easy about it. Schizophrenia doesn’t define me as a person.

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18

I don’t tell anyone. My husband, kids, parents and brother and sister know.

I feel that way too.

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19

I wrote a autobiography its called hey i have schizophrenia with a picture of my face on the cover

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20

That could turn out really positive for you. It’s just anxiety to get over the hurdle. Glad you have such a cool workplace. I think you owe it to yourself to befriend that person and keep the job.