Ever wonder what it would be like to tell someone your diagnosis? I am sza and in the closet about it. Only a few people know. I see how my family reacts to me being on disability and can’t help to dread their reaction if they knew my dx.
hey.
recently I’ve been telling my closest friends, and it feels nice. The reaction is usually positive and supportive.
Most of those that saw me during my psychotic break are no longer my friends, people just don’t know how to deal I guess… But some did, and they’re supportive also.
It’s better to tell than to live with shame for something that isn’t your fault.
Of course there is always stigma and we need to explain stuff like we’re not dangerous and stuff like that.
Good luck.
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How is it like to share your diagnosis? Well what is your diagnosis to you… To me it stands for a tremendously impressive and distressing period (well several) in my life. As such I present it to others when I disclose. As such it is also met by the people I disclose to.
They are usually somewhat in awe by the severity of psychosis. The people I told it to have without exception showed great sympathy towards me upon disclosing. Many times, though not always, they respond with disclosing distressing periods of their own lives. Such can create a bond, sharing impressive experiences with one another. To me, psychosis is a very severe life event, and such things you do not share with just anyone. But when the time is right psychosis is not so different to me than maybe someone else’s abusive parents are to them. When you have some trusting relationship with another, it is okay to tell. And it can be so so much of a relief to tell a friend.
So I am quite optimistic about others when it comes to disclosing. Much goes with the attitude you disclose with though, I believe. If you present it as the heavy experience it is/was, but with an attitude that you are comfortable talking about it, others will just swallow that and take up that attitude as well. If you present it as if it is something to be ashamed of, as a weakness, others will take up that attitude as well.
I have disclosed to about 30 people, and they have probably disclosed to some more for me as well. But I regret not a single one. Maybe I am blessed. Stigma is out there, for sure. But who does the most stigmatizing?
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i have told my New friends my diagnosis. i tell stuff like that because i want friends to know why i am like i am, i dont know if they can se it or not. or if it is reality or not. i think People dont care if i have a diagnosis, but the person i am. and the person i am is also not the person i want to be sometimes. i tell friends and People i like about my diagnosis ,because i think most of the times that im so crazy, that im so off you know? i blame all my problems on my diagnosis so why shouldent i say it?
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True that.
Nicely put.
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I don’t tell anyone anything that they don’t need to know. When it comes to my mental health, I’ve only told a few select people. Their reactions have been positive, but my ultra-conservative in-laws don’t know. My sister-in-law asked me why I was on disability once, and I told her I suffer from depression over my dad’s suicide and my mom’s death. When she pushed for more details, I vividly described the room my dad died in and how drawn-out and painful my mother’s death was. She didn’t know what to say, and her jaw dropped. She stammered and managed to sputter how awful that sounds, and how she could understand why I’m depressed. I’m not really depressed, but I have a hell of a backup story that’s truthful.
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I’m sorry for your trauma, @alien99. I like your post though, and don’t mean to be weird (ha), but you’re a good writer.
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I don’t have a full diagnosis, but to actually explain what I do have is a laborious process I struggle with. I usually just say I have schizophrenia-related cognitive issues and that’s why i’m hella strange and struggle do things sometimes.
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I’m a ‘‘someone’’, I guess. When I first met my friend, he didn’t tell me to have been diagnosed with sz, and that he was on medication for it. Later, I saw him stoned, but he seemed like on an LSD trip (or something) to me. After the same thing happened several times over a period of time, I asked what was going on with him, and he told me to have sz. After saying that word, I saw a single huge tear go down one of his cheeks. I’ll never forget how much pain that single tear seemed to carry. About three seconds later, he joked about having said that, so that I would feel sorry for him. We both laughed. More than once, he has asked me how I feel about the fact he has sz, so when he does, I tell him that just because I don’t have sz today, it doesn’t mean I won’t have it tomorrow, and that anybody can get it, which is true. Neither of us is a native English speaker, so I give him information I read on this forum since he understands little English.
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That’s hella cool, yo
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im open about being schizophrenic. I personally think its something interesting to hesr about the person.
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I go in phases… sometimes I blab it
other times I tell no one.
I always tell others to be careful when telling… get to know the person. See if you can trust them…
I was lucky that the few people I’ve told lately have been supportive. But again… I’ve been more careful who I tell lately.
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