It hasn’t for me. Incredibly I have not yet come across any stigma.
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Recently I told an old childhood friend that I suffer with Schizoaffective.
I haven’t heard back from him since.
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Not really. The only time I lost a friend because if it was while I was psychotic. And I think that was more because he watched me losing my mind and thought it was too much to handle and not necessarily because if the words “I’m schizophrenic.” If that makes sense. Even still, I bet if I tried to talk to him now he would still be cordial. We’re just not close anymore.
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I’ve had people stop speaking to me over it. I say good riddance to them.
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I essentially have the same deal as LED. As well other things that happen are people using my illness against me to control, manipulate me and/or others to turn them against me. Saying I am angry because of the illness when it was actually because of the way they treat me.
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People mostly are more understanding about why I’m different. Some won’t accept it and try to make me feel badly about who I am. I feel sorry for them for their closed minds. Must be hard to live that way.
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Yes, one was my next door neighbor who after I said hello (and her name), she just stood there staring at me, then got up and walked right past me-bumping into me as if I wasnt standing right in frint of her.
I don’t have to tell anyone anyway, my (ex) is the loudspeaker-sometimes in a funny way, but most people start off (before being told) warm and friendly, then afterwards, they withdraw and talk through my (ex) only.
Sometimes I wonder if they confuse Sz with being deaf, blind and dumb?
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Oh yeah.
I had to switch medications once and I was having a lot of weird side effects,
Ended up having to tell my employer at the time that I was schizophrenic and having problems with my meds.
I got “laid off” that Friday.
My neighbor at my old house noticed that I had been gone for a while, my husband told her I was in the hospital. When I came back she made me a casserole and we sat in my kitchen and had coffee for a long time. I eventually told her I was in the psychiatric clinic and that I had schizophrenia. She seemed okay at the time, but she left shortly after. Never talked to me again. As a matter of fact she stopped her kids from trick or treating at my house, when I waved and the kids tried to walk over she snatched one of them up and told the other “Not at that house” and kept going.
And, I don’t talk to about half my family because they think I’m a violent sociopath. Their words of course. There is a lot of history there and other contributing factors, but the line wasn’t drawn until I came out with my diagnosis.
I don’t care about or miss any of them.
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I never told him directly, but he must have overheard somehow. My brother warns everyone about me, and it leads to weird treatment by them. Fake niceness and all, but I suppose it’s better than some of the stories I’m hearing here. It just makes it impossible to have an honest relationship with anyone that thinks they’re walking on eggshells with me.
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I told my mom and she asked me when I was going to kill her.
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Brutally honest, but think I’d rather have someone be blunt with me than to fear interacting with me,
at least you know where you stand with them, and correct them before it gets out of control.
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Certainly has but I don’t care much about those people.
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I had an old roommate who saw me when I was actively psychotic and she never spoke to me again after I came back from the hospital
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I was seeing a woman doctor and she asked me some question (I forget what) and I told her I had paranoid schizophrenia. I figured she knew already from my medical chart. But she didn’t. She said, " You didn’t have to tell me that." I wish I hadn’t said it but the rest of the visit went fine. She was a little taken aback but it was no big deal.
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everhopeful. you must have a way with words… I have revealed to my super at work and it was disasterous, also I feel that stigma you mention wherever I go where people know me. I feel it.
judy
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Sometimes family members try to tell me not to be so obvious about my illness. I think they feel it will affect how others view me and they don’t want me to be hurt. I don’t hold back sometimes, because I feel I need to be bold about who I am and how I got to where I am today. As far as backfiring, I notice it is hard to connect with old school friends who knew me before I was sick. Now it seems my illness and my beliefs give me double the reason to be avoided. It’s hard sometimes.
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I don’t tell ppl as a general rule. Most will get the wrong idea. Its not worth it unless you have an afternoon to explain
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I tell people I’m Bipolar instead of schizoaffective. I can’t say I’ve had any negative reactions, I think I’ve probably had more positive from it although I’m in supportive housing so quite sheltered from things.
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Zombie 
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