My family and a couple friends knows I have schizophrenia but I don’t think anyone else does. But I feel weird because I shouldn’t feel ashamed for my illness. I feel like I’m kind of letting the community down by not being open about it. I don’t even care if people say nasty things to me. I think I could handle that. It is more the ramifications for my family.
Do you talk about being schizophrenic on Facebook and stuff? Is it safe to do that? (First I’d have to sign up on Facebook but I do have twitter.) Has anyone experienced negative ramifications for talking openly about their mental illness?
me I hide as much as possible…but when people come to me, I tell them straight up. some people think this is a bad idea…but if you want to know me, your gonna get me. if you did know me, you SHOULD know…
I kind of just want to let myself be stupid. I don’t do that very much and I think if I did it more, I’d grow to like it. I don’t see big ramifications for me for just posting on twitter about having schizophrenia. But I don’t know if it would mean my mom would lose friends or something.
I’ve been more honest with the guys I am meeting and dating. Mostly, it has been quite alright but I only had thought broadcasting. So i explained my symptoms…
I do something similar. Every time I leave the house I feel like my brain is leaking my thoughts and everyone is picking up on them. Of course that makes me really anxious and I start having more disturbing thoughts.
I personally don’t bring up scizoaffective on facebook cause I’m just private about it. I’m sure if you brought up scizo on facebook in a very thoughtful, sincere, honest way then I feel allot of people would commend you for it and tell you good job, but I personally really just wouldn’t do it.
I understand what you mean would your family lose respect or be embarassed, but you have to understand you need to deal with your diagnosis the best way you deal with it, and if you feel like you could be a spokesman for scizo then go ahead and do it. You just don’t see many people around my area doing that though.
Everybody in my family and extended family knows about it. I have 3 friends who know about it. But they all live out of the country! I don’t blurt it out to taxi drivers etc. I don’t really know enough people to be open about it. Oh there’s another person who knows about it.
So I’d say I’m fairly open about it. I’ve never had any problems. People seem to treat me like a “normal” person.
Places such as this site provide a refuge from social stigma for the exchange of ideas and support. I have not told any family members or anyone about it and never would with the exception of one. That one has only very miminal knowlegde. There is a lot of misinformation propagated by the entertainment industry at the exspense of those with MI. It scares people. It is a doubled edged sword: The publics lack of knowledge of MI in general is a scurge, their lack of mine however is of benifit to me.
Given that most people aren’t going to understand the label, I don’t use it. I let other people make up their minds about me on their own. If I do something strange, that’s on me, not my diagnosis.
I’ll admit though, I’ve sometimes hid behind my diagnosis as an excuse for behavior. So take that with a grain of salt.
I think it’s a bad idea to share your diagnosis, however, given that next to nobody is going to understand what it might mean.
I don’t go out of my way to tell others I have sz but if they ask what’s wrong with me then I’m open about it. I’m not ashamed of sz. Want to publish a book of my experience with mental illness. To help break stigma.