I have ‘passing priviledge’ too (an expression originally used in the LGBT+ sphere to mean someone who seems heteronormative on the surface), as no one can tell that I have a diagnosis of sz, or am on disability.

In a way, it’s great because I don’t get stigma from ‘normies’. If it comes up, I say that I do mental health support work (the person I support the most just happens to be myself), and I ‘pass’. Some might argue that I’m wrong to do so, but I’m not interested in ‘outing’ myself to try to break down stigma or whatever because people aren’t interested. The current media narrative is that a lot of people are defrauding the benefits system and so I don’t want to be accused of faking just because nobody can see the mess inside my head! (Though the official fraud figures are less than 0.1%!)

The problem is when any professional or person with MH difficulties finds out, because then I’m not believed. As such, I don’t attend drop in centres or support groups because I’m fed up of being shunned. I genuinely don’t get it though because nobody else that I meet at these places is drooling on their shoulder or whatever their ridiculous MI stereotypes are! But I guess that I don’t use my label as a badge of honour so that must be why I don’t fit in... I don’t talk about my difficulties IRL, and rarely on here, and that’s just what works for me, but it does get isolating

*Willow*