Schizophrenia - General Discussion

There are some people out there who go out of their way to avoid us on purpose, but honestly, it doesn't really bother me. I tend to just give them the same courtesy and steer clear of them too. 🥳

Lawrence Reyes46 said:😂
I assumed that was the case too, but I figured I’d better ask just to be sure. 😁 I know a few people living with schizophrenia, and let me tell you, they don't exactly have huge social circles. It’s honestly painful to watch how many people intentionally steer clear of them. Such a shame.

I mean, you can still find some decent, normal folks if you're in a big city... but in my tiny little town out in the sticks? If I said anything, I'd be a total outcast before I could even finish the sentence.👎

Eric Mitchell55 said:There are some people out there who go out of their way to avoid us on purpose, but honestly, it doesn't really bother me. I tend to just give them the same courtesy and steer clear of them too. 🥳

But let me ask you this—are the ones avoiding you actually people you used to give a damn about?

David Vaughn75 said:But let me ask you this—are the ones avoiding you actually people you used to give a damn about?

There are definitely people like that, though they don't carry much weight in my life anymore.
I mean, sure, it’s easy to let it get under my skin sometimes, but I usually manage to pull myself together and stay level-headed.

I’ve reached a point where my tolerance for absolute nonsense has hit zero—and frankly, I couldn't care less who finds that attitude abrasive. It might sound arrogant, but that’s just the reality of where I am right now.

At the end of the day, my priority is simply staying sane and protecting my own peace of mind.

I do have a small circle of people I’m close with—people who actually know about my diagnosis and all the complications that come with it.

I was never the type to go around making instant friends; even when I was a kid growing up in Chicago, I always kept my distance.

It was a hard pill to swallow back when I first got sick years ago—I lost almost everyone I used to call a friend, and I’ll admit that hit me hard. But honestly? These days, I don't give a damn who avoids me or what kind of gossip they're spreading behind my back. I'm not claiming to be any better than anyone else, but if you're decent to me when we're talking face-to-face, then I'll be decent to you, and we'll call it even.

I’m honestly starting to wonder if I’m way too late to let the crew know I’ve been dealing with schizophrenia😢

It hit me about 7 years ago

David Vaughn75 said:I’m honestly starting to wonder if I’m way too late to let the crew know I’ve been dealing with schizophrenia😢

It hit me about 7 years ago

Look, you can tell them if you want, but there's really no obligation—it all depends on the vibe of the group and just what kind of people you're dealing with.
Don't lose sleep over it; it's that same heavy, nagging feeling you get when something is weighing on your soul but you feel like you can't find the right moment to speak up.
And frankly—if I'm being honest—there's a certain, strange sort of satisfaction in keeping that diagnosis to yourself... just sitting there among the crowd, playing the part perfectly, while everyone else thinks you're just your usual self.😂

I don't think you should be categorizing this as "normal" versus "abnormal." Honestly, if the condition is under control, the label doesn't change the reality of your life. It’s a shame to see you, David Vaughn75, limiting your social circle to just hospital staff or people on this forum who share the exact same struggle. When your entire world shrinks down to just those dealing with the same diagnosis, you lose perspective. It isn't the illness that defines your identity. Not for any of you. We are all significantly more than our physical setbacks.
On another note, it’s actually refreshing to see how much optimism there is here. It’s not as if everyone is lucky enough to have a space where they can speak this openly—even if it is just through an online forum.

Standing alone against the crowd doesn't mean you've lost your mind. There’s a fundamental difference between what's true and what's just noise; if you're sticking to the facts, even if it feels like the whole world is looking at you sideways, you aren't crazy.

Amen!

David Vaughn75 said:I’m honestly starting to wonder if I’m way too late to let the crew know I’ve been dealing with schizophrenia😢

It hit me about 7 years ago

Think of it like managing a turbulent storm; you use medication to steady the ship and keep everything on course. Just let it all out, because holding it in is like trying to contain steam in a pressure cooker—it only causes more heartache. What is the absolute worst-case scenario here? Perhaps you'll filter out the people who aren't truly meant to be in your life. We are all carrying some kind of heavy burden, so you might as well carry yours with a smile on your face.

Eric Mitchell55 said:Standing alone against the crowd doesn't mean you've lost your mind. There’s a fundamental difference between what's true and what's just noise; if you're sticking to the facts, even if it feels like the whole world is looking at you sideways, you aren't crazy.

Amen!

The problem is, history shows us that those who cling to the truth often end up crucified for it.

Very few people actually have the spine to swim against the current. Sure, we all like to think we have our own little opinions—I certainly do, usually while nursing a lukewarm coffee and staring at the news—but going against the grain? That’s a hard sell. Most of us might grumble here or there, but once the status quo makes its move, most of us just fold and accept it, eventually. It's a survival instinct, I suppose, though a cowardly one.
Most of us are nothing more than harmless chatterboxes.

David Vaughn75 said:Some of us haven't told anyone about our condition

But man, I really regret keeping it under wraps.
Now I’m stuck sitting there in social circles, constantly having to cook up excuses for why I don't have a steady job or why I'm not married, which just makes me look like some lazy bum in their eyes. I should've just laid it all out there from the jump—that way, you see pretty quickly who's a real friend and who's just a total fake.

I’ve been pretty open with my inner circle. If there's something I haven't shared yet, I wait for the right moment—when the conversation naturally allows me to tell my story without feeling like I'm dumping my diagnosis on people when it isn't necessary. People I hang out with actually find my experiences interesting; I’ve never lost a friend over it or felt like people were avoiding me. In fact, I’ve given them perspective on how they might handle things if they faced the same diagnosis. Even during my psychotic episodes, people found my story compelling, especially those with strong religious ties. Things are different now, though. They've asked me how I changed my outlook, and I gave them a straight answer. They accept it, even if they prefer it when I lean into supporting their faith. Honestly, even the healthy people can't seem to agree on that part.

Lawrence Reyes46 said:I’m curious—how much of a struggle is it for you guys to actually unwind when you're hanging out with a new crowd? I know all too well that people often look at those living with this diagnosis through a lens that is anything but appropriate. It's usually just a mountain of unfair prejudice.
Let's say someone new approaches you. They already know your diagnosis, whether they're looking to be a friend or perhaps something more. Would you immediately go on the defensive? To what extent would you be feeling skeptical?

It isn't really about being suspicious myself, but the reality is that the other person usually is. What can I do? 🤷 At the end of the day, there's a real human being behind that diagnosis; if someone has the capacity to see past the label, then things move along just fine.👍

David Vaughn75 said:I’m honestly starting to wonder if I’m way too late to let the crew know I’ve been dealing with schizophrenia😢

It hit me about 7 years ago

Honestly, that specific label feels pretty insulting; they really ought to rename it to something that sounds a little more dignified.

🙂

Honestly, you guys are right—I've got nothing left to lose here.

Noah Garcia4 said:Honestly, that specific label feels pretty insulting; they really ought to rename it to something that sounds a little more dignified.

🙂

And don't even get me started on that "paranoid" schizophrenia prefix—it makes people think I’m out here eating bars of soap and banging my head against the wall. 🤣 🤣

David Vaughn75 said:Honestly, you guys are right—I've got nothing left to lose here.

And don't even get me started on that "paranoid" schizophrenia prefix—it makes people think I’m out here eating bars of soap and banging my head against the wall. 🤣 🤣

I mean, let's talk about a split personality—as if having a fractured soul is some kind of valid excuse, please, it just isn't right.🙂 🤷☕

A few years back, there was a psychiatry symposium held down on the coast with the theme "Soul and Spirit." My gut told me right then that it was a terrible topic for a group of psychiatrists to tackle; they don't have the slightest clue about the soul or the spirit. They know nothing about it.

Robin Lopez2 said:A few years back, there was a psychiatry symposium held down on the coast with the theme "Soul and Spirit." My gut told me right then that it was a terrible topic for a group of psychiatrists to tackle; they don't have the slightest clue about the soul or the spirit. They know nothing about it.

Yeah, that’s definitely true. 🥳

The bio was actually decent—enough to land me another hundred bucks worth of therapy sessions☕

Robin Lopez2 said:A few years back, there was a psychiatry symposium held down on the coast with the theme "Soul and Spirit." My gut told me right then that it was a terrible topic for a group of psychiatrists to tackle; they don't have the slightest clue about the soul or the spirit. They know nothing about it.

Even Jane wouldn't know anything about that, which is probably why she managed to scrape by through those three installments.🧐