I personally hide my sexuality, my Schizophrenia and Autism.
How can we carry these things and operate as if we’re normal just because other people just won’t understand either through ignorance or choice what it means?
Seems really unfair and it upsets me greatly that I have these pretty significant things that are hidden, but I have to try so hard not to let them get in the way everyday.
It’s so draining and hard to maintain. Things like this are so complex, and it’s hard not to feel downtrodden by it all.
How do you feel about the things you hide? Will you share anything with us here personal to you that you wish you could be more open about without the risk of losing contact with other people?
I can share my “true self” with a very small group of family and/or friends. I might try to take care that my true self doesn’t put unnecessary strain on those relationships. It can be very challenging.
For example, I know that my autism makes me very self-oriented as opposed to other-oriented. If I was just me on my default setting, which is very self-centered (autism literally means self-ism or the state of being oneself), I might actually push people away. So I have to work at it. And yeah, you never feel like you can be your “true self.” Autism can be a very lonely and isolating condition.
I am bi. I don’t talk about it with family. Few friends know I am into females… I usually just say it’s not my thing and for awhile I believed it but I am attracted to females. With my sza it’s apart of me… I tell people who I want to be apart of my life about it.
Frank in house of cards said “We are only what we choose to reveal.” No one has ever met the true me. And I’m ok with that. I try to project happiness and positivity and that’s all that matters. Also just because you may hide parts of yourself doesn’t mean you should be ashamed, part of our world is backwards an unaccepting. Be proud of who you are no matter who knows it.
I hide my illness, ssi, sexual fetishes and other secrets. Don’t make
yourself vulnerable to criticism. There are friends who will use them
to attack or undermine you. It’s reasonable to hide things. That’s my
opinion, though I’m someone who holds everyone at arms length.
As my clinical psychologist is looking into considering me for a diagnosis of autism, I am relieved to know now what could be the issue. It just makes sense why I’m different. I feel like I’ve been hating myself so long because I’ve been trying to be someone im not just to fit in… If I do get diagnosed on Friday I will focus on my strengths and work out what to do from there… I hope for more help with life skills etc but I’m feeling much more positive and its not that I have not been trying but I’ve been trying and working extra hard (mask) to appear normal …
Very different for me. I could have had Asperger’s stamped across my forehead and those at my previous mental health trust wouldn’t have noticed.
A sign there might be more going on than MI . Doing a swimming group where you’re more fixated on how many lengths you can do than interacting with the other patients.
Not at all. We’re all in a similar situation with all this kind of stuff, and to be able to share a part of yourself here I think is a really good thing, and your comments are really relevant to what I posted original.
I’m not open about my pansexuality with most people in my life. Not yet, anyway.
I also hide how bad my mood swings can get because I hate when people worry about me. I am starting to do better on that front, though, because maintaining a cheery facade all the time is super draining.