My family and friends know. I also told my future employer.
I agree with what some said above. The stigma is not going to end if everyone is going to keep it a secret. I know people who do. I’m more of the courageous type.
I usually just tell immediate and some extended family. As for outsiders, only a few and my old church knew I had schizophrenia. Comes with the perks of getting a Ph.D in clinical psychology in church.
People in narcotics Anonymous labelled me because they couldn’t understand me. I realize after three decades I am definitely an addict. I was so young and inexperienced! I said a lot of foolish things in meetings and rarely made sense. I hated going but I am clean and sober thirty years later. Sadly, most of them returned to using drugs and probably died. I got in early before it had a chance to blossom. I felt like I had no choice but to go. I did have a choice not much of one but today my mind has gotten so I couldn’t last one day in that world.
I’ve only told close relatives and a few good friends, but word spreads quickly so I’m not sure who else caught wind. I’d like to keep it a secret from certain people, but as the saying goes, two people can only keep a secret if one of them is dead
My parents know, one sister knows, my biological daughter knows but not my stepdaughters, and I have 2 friends who know. Both friends who know are also mentally ill. I wouldn’t have disclosed it to them if they had no mental illness. They’re both bipolar, and one has borderline personality disorder
With specific regards to schizophrenia, if you can’t tell a person has it, odds are it’s not going to be a problem. If something is problematic, you’ll be able to tell the person is acting strangely.
In other words no I never tell anybody and nobody ever asks. Unless we get into what I do for a living.
Thats the though part about hiding it especially if these people know you for a long time. I used to lie to some people that I am trying to find work etc but eventually after years they probably think I am lying and that I have a disability/mental illness.
Most of my extended family knows, as well as a few old friends I told on facebook. I told my employer I have an “anxiety disorder”, which is basically how my sz manifests itself the most anyways. I did tell one of my coworkers about my sz, and she seemed indifferent about it.