If everyone knew you where sz and you really didn’t get any backlash or very little. Do you think it would be good for your recovery? This is what I’m hoping for some day I want to come out and let everyone know.
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I don’t know I’m too prideful. When a family member starts looking down on me, I can’t see them as family anymore. I just ignore half their existence when that starts.
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Let people get to know you first. A good bit of advice I heard on this forum when I first joined was “Never lead with your illness”.
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I’ve told more people in the past year than I thought I ever could. I think it has helped me. Even the people who are obviously uncomfortable by me now help me because I find myself choosing “my side” over their’s. They’re wrong for not even wanting to understand. I’m guilty of no wrong (in relation to sz), so I shouldn’t feel ashamed.
I was constantly ashamed before.
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I eventually tell most people I interact with regularly. I don’t go out of my way to tell them, but it inevitably comes up in conversation either why I’m in the hospital or why I’m taking meds or if we’re talking about the state of mental illness treatment and why it matters so much to me. I don’t every shy away from telling people. Some take it better than others. I think some people look at me differently after I tell them, but usually they go back to normal after a while. Usually. I’ve lost one friend over it.
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After a long time I told quite a few folk I know. Kinda felt like a weight off my shoulders. Lost a few folk doing this, but I think that qualifies them as not being true friends.
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Yes yes and one more time yes, you either gain a friend or loose an enemy both are benefitial for your well being.
There is nothing more important than surrounding yourself with good influences, and I’m not talking here about some positive Instagram pictures ■■■■.
For your own well being it is important to be in circles you want to be influenced by. Coming out is like half the cure, you get to say bye to a lot of dickbags.
Kudos to you if going for it. (I’m totally reflecting my own experiences)
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I did that recently with no backlash. My coworkers who now know my diagnosis, for example, do not treat me any differently than they did before. We still give each other crap and joke around with each other just as we did before. The big gain for me was simply getting it off my chest. It’s your call, though. I agree with @Jimbob - anyone you lose over it was never a true friend in the first place.
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Like I always say be careful. Mental illness is still one of those things that it seems to be okay to be prejudice against in the public opinion. Even though I came out to people when I was psychotic I don’t talk about it much anymore. The biggest issue is whether your employer should know. It could hurt you if they discriminate against you although if they work with you it could help. That’s basically a judgment call on your part.
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I’m open to a degree about my illness with people. Usually it’s only after knowing someone for quite a while, but when I was still dating Angela I told her right off the bat I was schizophrenic. she accepted it and I felt so much better for telling her.
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I only notify others of SZ if the circumstance relates. For example, on facebook, I saw my nephew make a post/comment on an article about Alzheimer’s, and so I commented about Schizophrenia being somewhat related. He seemed to know that already. Also found out he has ADD. So, it’s probably easier to notify others of SZ online than in person. You can sometimes bring up SZ diagnosis in related discussions. I may do so because it’s interesting and to indirectly explain why I am the way I am – very socially withdrawn and isolated.
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Really have no reason to tell anyone, only feel like I’m hiding it and think they all should know someone that’s sz, so they realize we are not so scary.
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