I haven’t had a social life going out in the evening for around 18 years. I really wish that I could go out socialising I find it depressing that due to problems with the illness it means that I don’t go out in the evening.
Does anyone else have much of a social life?
Not really much of one no.
My social life for the past seven years has been exclusively spending time with people I’ve met in treatment programs…
I used to try really hard to have a social life and it went badly, I’m just too messed up and different. I’ve pretty much lost any ability and to do it anymore, I’d rather be alone.
I do have a social life. It takes caffeine and medication adherence to have one. I can even drink normally now that I am recovered and on meds, I can go out with friends and have a drink or have a glass of whiskey after working out when I am alone. I used to be a binge drinker, my doctors say I was never actually an alcoholic, that alcoholism and schizophrenia are no, alcoholics drink heavily because they are alcoholics, schizophrenics drink heavily to reduce symptoms, I dont drink to reduce symptoms, I just have a drink or two and enjoy it. I mean I used to drink before going out to drink more. I drank a handle one day. It was not right.
I have old friends and have regained my social skills which have made me new ones too. If it werent for my old friends who stuck with me, I would not be able to report having an active social life. Like today I am going to play drums with an old friend and his little garage band, otherwise I wouldnt be leaving the house today. On the weekend I went out for a drink with some old friends and a former teacher.
People had a hard time seeing me for the year 1/2 that I was psychotic and not on meds. They generally avoided me and later told me it hurt to look at me. Now I am buff again and clean shaven with a military haircut, bodybuilding and powerlifting for hours every week, the most jacked guy in most places I find myself in, save for the gym, LOL.
I have hard a remarkable recovery. Medications have really really worked for me. Before meds, I was too paranoid to get on these forums and talk about myself.
I do have to drink caffeine in order to go out. Whether its an extra strong big mug of coffee or just some tea depends on how I feel that day, but I am fairly sedated from my meds, and when I am not working out, on my rest days, if I dont have an afternoon coffee I end up falling asleep on the couch and waking up at 5 or 6.
I’m a diagnosed alcoholic with a diagnosed psychotic disorder and I’d have to say this doesn’t apply to everyone. I was a heavy drinker before my onset of psychosis and even with the psychosis in remission the urge to drink is still just as powerful.
I know several people with both alcoholism and schizophrenia, having sz doesn’t rule out alcoholism. I drank because it’s just always been my drug of choice, I drank to make my anxiety go away, I drank because I loved to drink. But as far as reducing symptoms of sz, this never worked for me as I tend to actually focus more on my delusions when I’m swimming at the bottom of a bottle than when I’m sober.
I think it comes down to whether one can have one or two drinks and stop. I will never be able to do this sz or no sz.
Congratulations on your recovery though…
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actually I go out in nightclubs with a friend once every summer time. I tend to get terrible paranoid symptoms though and drinking alcohol does nothing to alleviate these symptoms
now I can have a really small glass of wine in the evening mostly at the weekend just a couple of mouthfuls and I can leave it like that as a treat at the weekends. I’m not an alcoholic myself.
Yeah there are exceptions…its just generally speaking, most schizophrenics chill out on booze once they get recovered on meds or naturally recover. If you cant stop at a couple drinks, you shouldnt drink, good thing you realize that.
I do not really socialize, but when I ride my bicycle daily I see many people. Sometimes there are situations that I do not recognize people, but they know me. Just yesterday one man told that he knew me, but I had no recollection of this person. Somehow my mind got blanked at some point of my life, I just do not recognize people although they know me.
Of course,
There’s an entire school of thought which rests atop the pillar of generally speaking, it’s called psychology.
I’ve found myself to more often than not be the exception rather than the rule which explains my life long aversion to the field.
I have two friends in real life. I have one friend from real life who lives in England now (I’m in the US) who I email with frequently. I went out with one of my friends and her son for the fourth of July, and then again for dinner the next day. Sometimes we go weeks without seeing each other, even though she lives right across the street from me. I don’t really make any friends at college, as they are all half my age.
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My social life comes from work friends, Facebook, and family. I don’t go out with my friend from work, because she has a her hands full with a new baby. Many of my friends have moved to the hipster Mecca that is Austin, Texas. I watch my younger siblings sometimes and go to church with my mom.
I get a sort of enforced socialization at the assisted living center where I live. I still spend a lot of time alone. I used to think I didn’t need company, but I found out otherwise. I don’t have to be a social butterfly, but I do need to rub elbows with my fellow humans occasionally.
Ever thought of joining a group on meetup.com? A girl I know is in a Salsa group and goes dancing every week. There are wine tasting groups, eating out groups, game nights, all sorts of things.
No, I don’t have much of a social life. I’m not very good with people, so I spend most of my time alone wishing I was better with people. I envy those with good social lives. I’m 41 and never even been in a relationship and had few friends. I chat some at ircstorm mental illness chat and go to a peer support group sometimes.
i tried going out at the weekend recently but it didnt end well so i’m not going to try again unless i am with someone bc i was on my own and you end up just looking like a loner i guess, i did meet a couple of women one time but they were a bit weird (no offence) and ended up going home early.
i do other things to socialize tho like college and church and i volunteer so itss not all bad.
yes I have completed 3 full years at college where I made friends but they were all in relationships with lots of friends. its hard to be 42 and looking for friends especially as I have not lived here all my life.
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Reading all of these post made me feel worried,because most of post here says that we do not socialize
I also don’t socialize but I try hard to think I can do it like a normal person,I won’t give up,I will socialize whenever a good chance is up for grab
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My husband, sister and mom are my only real “friends” now. I had a pretty good friend a few years ago who I thought was great, but after I told her about my mental illness I never heard from her again. 
i haven’t been out on the lash for a while now. probably because i don’t binge drink anymore and have no interest in doing it. i guess i could go anyway but i don’t really feel the need. i would rather go out to dinner with friends to be honest as opposed to drinking all night. i guess i’m just not hard core enough lol. am going to a mh group on sunday for a while so we’ll see how that goes. haven’t been there for a while so it should be fun 
social …what lol
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