So for awhile after getting sick I was an open book about hearing voices and experiencing delusions. I haven’t really experienced a delusion in two years, and the voices have become always positive and complimentary and can therefore be tuned out. It’s about as disabling as having a gnat fly around your ear a couple hours of every day. I’m thinking about getting back into work possibly once the pandemic is over.
More importantly though, I think I’m going to never mention my disorder to any new people going forward. If it’s recovered to the point where I no longer am actively bothered by it, what’s the point in telling people?
In the movie Joker he writes down that the worst thing about having a mental illness is that people expect you to act as if you don’t have a mental illness. I think I’m at the point where I can convincingly act like I don’t have a mental illness. So I’m thinking I basically go undercover as a healthy person. It will be hard to explain the large 5 year gap in my employment, but I’m sure I can find another way to explain it.
What do you guys think? Has anybody else reached this point? Any advice?
I do pretty well with things…still on a disability pension but love my life.
I’m a long ways into this and I understand completely. I am very select in who I tell. Most people don’t know and I’m still actively social at the cricket club. I think your doing what is good for you and recovery and applaud you for that. You get to an age and everyone has baggage…we just have a mental illness.
I don’t have any positive symptoms but my negatives bother me alot.
As far as telling people about your illness, I don’t tell anyone besides doctors and family. It’s no one else’s business frankly. If someone were to ask for some reason though, i would probably tell them the truth.
Most people in my life know cause they always known me. New people don’t come in my life often but i don’t think i would say either except if they get closer to me
I had no choice other than telling my friends because I had to leave them everyday at around 10pm to go home and take my meds. Now that I cant hangout with them due to severe negative symptoms, I had to repeat to them that I am still mentally ill. Yesterday my best friend begged me to hangout with him and with my other friends. He told me you cant stay in bed all day, its not good. I told him maybe Vraylar will help me. He never left me, he keeps calling me twice video chat or by phone everyday and we talk for 2h then play video games together online.
My other 3 close friends know that mental illness stopped me from hanging out with them but they dont call everyday. I just have one friend that calls me everyday. They used to call me everyday when I was hanging out with them last year.
I dont Believe in telling anyone outside the family because I think people will judge you far more severely, unless you meet some really open minded people which I don’t think I’d find here. I was on a live once and I mentioned it because I was anonymous and I got a surprise that some people actually knew someone with the illness and others thought it was interesting . That’s what I think you need is someone to find it interesting, other people are just afraid of what they can’t understand
I lost all my presz friends. When I was without friends I called the son of my work boss who I used to teach math, he’s 5 years younger than me. Its him who made me have more friends (I became friend with most of his friends) and now I am not friend with him anymore lol I stayed friend with his friends. Now he doesnt talk to these friends anymore and has other friends.
I don’t tell people my diagnosis. Not even my own dad. My mom knows, my best friend, one sister, one daughter and my husband are the only people who know. I plan to keep it that way.
A long time ago, I was diagnosed with psychosis. I told my dad, and he wouldn’t allow me to see my family. So I lied and told him it turned out to be a reaction to a medication. I’ll never tell him again.
I don’t. I used to freak out about people asking me what I did for work. Now I feel like I’m comfortable with telling them I’m on disability but not what for. I would tell friends but I feel like even though I met these people in treatment I didn’t talk about it. My girlfriend knew, though not my fiance. I feel like if I’d told her than things would have been much easier in that relationship but I was in denial. I hate that it’s this huge thing you can’t talk about. I suppose that’s why this place is so nice to talk on.
I tell everyone I meet. I have only had one middle aged Asian women discriminate me. All the pretty girls and employers and I talk to never have an issue. If you are capable and competent, no matter your diagnosis, no one will truly be able to discriminate you.
I’m tight-lipped when it comes to full disclosure. In total, I’ve told 5 of my trusted friends and 2 ex-gfs. Outside of support system (doctors, counselors, immediate family), I’ve told less than 10 people. My take is it’s nobody’s business. Plus I think telling others is stressful.
Right now I dont go out so I dont have to tell anyone, I told my closest friends im crazy, my first phycosis i missed three days from work in a hallucinations so they already know and are willing to work with me so I got lucky there.
It’s no one else’s business what medical condition(s) you have. Don’t feel pressured to tell people unless you feel there’s some upside and you want to.