So what do you say when you see and old friend and you are honest and tell them you are recovering from a year and a half long episode of schizophrenia? I have been working out at a gym where some guys I know from junior high go, and today it came up while we were chatting. I said “It’s when you see, hear and think ■■■■” and told them that I was on medicine for it and that sleepiness is a side effect, it was brief. One of the guys was like “Oh wait I saw a movie about that!” and I was like “Yeah, the one with Russel Crowe.”
So what do you tell people who dont even know what schizophrenia is? I usually phrase it like “It’s when you see, hear and or think weird ■■■■ or scary ■■■■.”
I couldn’t imagine anyone not knowing what schizophrenia is. I mean most people are going to say its at least a type of mental illness. Now schizoaffective is a different story, not too many people have heard of this disorder, not unless they work in the mental health field or know someone afflicted with SZA
“To me, the best analogy of what it’s like is that it’s a waking nightmare, where you have all the bizarre images, the terrible things happening, and the utter terror — only with a nightmare you open your eyes and it goes away. No such luck with a psychotic episode.”
I have described it as your brain’s reality is different then other peoples. I normally don’t tell people though. It only came up in conversation with an old friend. But really it’s nobody’s business. I am a very private person though.
I rarely tell people I have the disease. If they don’t know me well enough they don’t need to know my problems. If I can hide it then goody for me. Most of the time I down play the disorder and say I have anxiety problems and depression leaving out Schizophrenia, mostly this is because the negativity that comes with the title of Schizophrenia.
Be happy that the person doesn’t know as that means it’s easier to teach the right information Use some of the information you have learned in psych class.
The boss I have now, is a very kind and cool person. When I did come clean and tell him I had Sz he said he had no idea what that meant. I’ve tried to educate him the little by little over the past two years.
Usually I just tell people who really don’t know that it’s a chemical imbalance that really messes with my perceptions of things.
The oddest one that happened to me… One of my sister’s friends got told I have Sz and this friend who fancies them selves as a dabbler in psychology began to tell me what the disease is. It was really odd.
I mentioned a bit about my tactile hallucinations to her and she said… “No, that’s not part of the illness. I’ve read all about it.” That one blew me away more then the people who honestly don’t know about the illness.
I’ve met people who claim to know what the illness is all about. My in laws claim that I need to come off the medications to learn to deal with reality. They think its an illness where I will just freak out and hurt little children.
Use some of the information you have learned in psych class.