I love being around people but I stick to only hanging out with people that I’ve known since before I had my big psychotic episode. I am very involved at my church and there are some people I would like to grow a relationship with (friendship). I just feel so awkward. Also, I’m not very organized and I manage life through a hard calendar and a note taking system. It scares me to throw extra into what is already working.
Does anyone else wish they could be more social but they just don’t know how to fit it in? I feel stupid for not being able to just naturally do this. I used to be able to just naturally make friendships.
yep, you’re definitely not alone on this. I struggle mightily with socializing – it really only comes natural when I’m talking to my parents. Everyone else though, it feels like I gotta fake it. SZ has really made me socially inept.
I try talking in the shower but the people in my head to come out if I do it there. I will try the mirror. I don’t look in mirrors much. They scare me sometimes.
My parents kinda know I have issues but my mother is against ANY daily meds (we’re pretty sure she’s schizophrenic too but won’t get treatment) and my dad is pretty uninvolved with emotions. I have some friends from when I was a kid and my sister.
I wish I could be more social. I never know what to talk about and have never fit in or made friends easily. Every city I’ve lived in I’ve only ever had a few people to hang out with but now I don’t hang out with anyone and haven’t since 2013.
I can carry on a conversation with the occassional random people being especially nice, but not much else. Well not necessarily totally random
Most of the time I don’t try too hard.
I’ve been encouraged to workout at the Y where some people were nice to me but, the membership costs and hassle of scheduling rides every week are too much.
I’m in the same situation: not being able to make friends as much as I’d like. But what I found to be really helpful was to make a positive prediction to socialize more. I suffered severely from the negative symptom lack of speech, but, with right medication, I realized I had more control than I thought with regards to talking again. Now, I’m talking to my old buddies again and solidifying my relationships.
I repeat words when I’m trying to talk and lose what I’m trying to say. At work, I’m the expert and people just ignore it. In social, life I feel less confident about it. I’m glad you’ve gotten it worked out so you can connect again.
I tend to avoid conversing with random people. I also dont have any friends anymore, i used to be pretty outgoing growing up but now ive almost become mute. Lately ive been thinking of going to the mental health association and meeting other people experiencing mental illness like me.
The same could be said about my public speaking skills. Before i was delivering presentations to hundreds of people by using a microphone and not even worrying. When i did one presentation a couple years ago, after being diagnosed, i was stuttering and shaking so bad, i think i got traumatized from that experience lol.
Do you have any schizophrenia societies or clubs you could go to, to try meet people?
As far as I know there are not any around here. I have an appointment with my therapist tomorrow and I’m going to tell him that I’m finally ready to give in to this diagnosis. Until now I’ve been in a little bit of denial, then acceptance, then denial. Maybe he knows of some.
I have a few friends. I worry about telling people I have schizophrenia because they’ll think I’m needy or dangerous. Then, when I don’t tell them, I’m just weird. I kinda like being weird but other people like those that first the mold.
I dont tell people i have schizophrenia. Tho my mom is a huge gossip and suddenly my entire family knew i have schizophrenia lol. I dont mind being weird either, ive been described as stoic, crazy, weird, eccentric before. I try not to focus too much on it. If i had friends, i probably wouldnt tell them either that i was schizo unless i really trusted them.
Maybe ask your therapist for a case worker? My case worker usually looks for programs and places i can go to practice my social skills. Maybe ask your therapist if they know any places aswell, mine recommended me a place to get a job. Tho i live in a small city so the only jobs available were fast food places.
Being weird has been the best part of this. I have completely lost my definition of “normal” and I am able to just accept others as doing the same as I am, getting by in this crazy life as best as they can.
There are some very complicated person reasons that I’m avoiding a case worker for the moment. But I will ask my therapist about any less formal resources that he knows of for this.
A very lot of people think that putting a check next to some dude or chicks name in the voting booth is being “social”. Still even more think, hoarding or throwing money at problems will cure societies ills.
Whatever happened to communication? Can’t you see the other side?
I have got a lot better since I stopped hearing voices. I am not even that quiet these days, but it is hard when you are trying to have a conversation but instead of thinking of something to say you have to deal with your voices or you have a thought that is paranoid or self conscious.
I do crave friendships but right now I’m happy on my own. Kinda lol. In the sense that people give me too much anxiety atm. I hope to improve my confidence and get out of this cycle of having no close friends.
I think it’s about having confidence