How do you tell when people are being nice to you because they want to be kind to you to be friendly and when people are only doing so because you have mental health issues and they feel sorry for you?
Sometimes I get confused about this. Esepcially when people laugh at jokes I make that arent funny or pay me compliments that I dont think Ive earned.
Its hard to know if they are kind of pitying me or are just trying to be friendly.
It can be both at the same time. People have different sides to them that mix together.
Try to pay attention to body language and tone of voice
It’s pretty rare for someone to be nice to you because you have a mental health issue, just because most people don’t know you have mental health issues unless you tell them.
My intake nurse when I was setting up my new psychiatry stuff after moving back, was very nice and empathetic probably because she just read my file and knows how much crap I’ve been through. I actually don’t mind when people are nice because of it, because I think I deserve a little empathy after having been through all that awful stuff.
It might get old if everybody did it, but I get treated like a normal joe out in public.
The bigger question is: does it matter?
Thats an interesting way of looking at it 
Yes. I think this is the truth. No ones going to treat me the opposite way because of my MH issues. Maybe they are just slightly nicer.
It matters to me. If I found out people only acted kindly towards me because they felt sorry for me, I would feel like we arent really friends they just pity me and look down on me.
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