Socialising and paranoia

Unusual Beliefs
1

I live opposite a village pub. Tonight I thought I would try to socialise so I went over an ordered a drink (diet coke). I sat on my own watching the TV. I didn’t really know anyone in the bar. I was just trying to act normal although I was anxious.

Anyway when I popped outside for a cigarette I saw an unfamiliar woman in a parked car. For some reason I thought she was from the benefits agency and I thought they thought I was out getting drunk and socialising fine (although this was not the case). I then thought they were going to stop my disability because I went to the pub.

This is an ongoing problem for me. I feel that if I try to do normal things on the occasions when I feel up to it they will cut off my benefits.

Anyone else feel like they are under surveillance when they attempt “normal” behaviour?

2

I think with the sociopaths in government targeting the disabled it is very easy to feel that way. If you are prone to paranoia anyway government behaviour is designed to exacerbate it.

3 Likes
3

I think you are right @firemonkey. Is a bad time to depend on the state

4

Last week I got a phone call from a woman that said “What were you doing at Sears on Saturday?”.

Me- I went to get a new pillow case. :sleeping:

Woman- “What are you doing with the $$$ you earn from Voc Rehab?”

Me- " I said I bought a pillow case"

Hangs up phone :telephone: :telephone_receiver:

If I was seen going into a liquor store nothing would be said. Mental health clients are labeled as drug adddicts or alcoholics anyways.

5

I have never heard of this. You are allowed to go out! If anyone is being targeted-it is the ones who are committing fraud.

6

Yeah I dont get it as a person collecting SSDI - you can go out, even to a bar, or buy whatever you want, unless you are talking about Medicaid? and SSI? I dont know enough about that

7

The Sears woman works at the Vocational Rehabilitation office. Not govt.assistance office.

8

For me I get paranoia in public places, on the bus, subway, pizza place. When I am socializing with a friends, I wonder if their gfs know if I have schizophrenia, or if the people there know? It takes up a lot of my thought process.

9

I do all kinds of crap and they don’t take my SSDI away. I think I get SSDI because I can’t work full-time and support myself. On MOST forms they send me to fill out they don’t even ask about daily activities. I say MOST, because 20 years ago they wanted to know what I did in a typical week. Maybe I’m thinking of Medicare or Medicaid. But for at least the last 6 or 7 years (and probably double that) My annual re-certification forms don’t make me list any activities except of course working and going to school.

10

im trying to apply for benefits because my mental condition prevents me from working at this point in time, i worry that people will judge me because i feel like im abusing the system because people dont see it from my point of view even though i have payed into the system, but for going to the pub to try and improve your mental condition you have to tell yourself that your just paranoid sometimes, sorry to hear that

11

Thanks for all the replies folks. The problem is is that the country I live in has strict conditions on getting benefits. They ask in detail about your ability so socialise (although I don’t really think what I was doing was socialising). What’s more the government is exploiting the common public belief that benefit receivers are all ‘shirkers’ and lazy. There is a vast public sentiment against people on welfare.

This whole feeling that I am being surveilled has therefore a little of reality. But then I suppose a lot of paranoid thoughts do. It’s just annoying cos say it was a coffee shop I went in people probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid. It is the fact that it was a pub gets on folks nerves - even though I just had a soft drink. Incidentally the small village I live in has no coffee shops only the pub.

I think I need to develope a thicker skin to cope with expectations placed upon me.