Quote:
Originally Posted by *Laurie*
Prison carries a tremendous stigma with it but at least ex-prisoners can hang out and live near other ex-prisoners. It's basically a sub-culture. Not a great one, but there's plenty of support systems in place.
I have a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year; she said that as soon as she told friends and family of her diagnosis they were bringing her food, offering to pick things up for her, offering her rides, etc.
Try telling friends and family members that you have a mental illness. HA. They'll let you starve, avoid you like the plague, and on top of it all ask you if you really need to take medication.
I am so bitter about the stigma around mental illness, just about the only people I want to associate with anymore are people with mental illness who are trying to remain stable by being on meds and in therapy - and being on forums like PC.
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My (now deceased) neighbor had spent the majority of his life in prison. He had four years of probation awaiting him when he died. He had a terrible temper — threw 5 phones to the ground and destroyed all. He only lashed out at me a couple of times and me being me (the ‘old’ me?) belittled him. I think that he quickly grasped that I could not relate to his prison life... if someone spoke about prison, he was quick to relate. But we don’t have many ex-cons around here so there was no subculture for him to join. I actually came to believe that he missed being in prison.
Oh, yeah; people respond quickly to physical diseases like >>cancer.<< I’ve had the MI stigma for decades but once I had a little (and I mean to imply ‘small and treatable’) cancer suddenly everyone was
concerned. The #1 question? “Is it terminal?” I always wanted to reply, “lord god, yes; I could go at any minute! Get that casserole over here now!” But I settled for a (sheepish), “no, it’s gone now.”
And when I get a case of that nasty stigmata, it becomes a circus around here.
I can surely relate to the idea that I need to live amongst those who are as tainted as myself. That’s why I come here. Because my transportation is so severely restricted I don’t have the ‘real life’ luxury of being amongst my own. This website (are there others like it?) can provide me with comfort, I guess.
I didn’t disclose the extent of my mental disorders until fairly recently. I told people that I was seeing a shrink because of panic attacks. Had I even began to mutter “schizo...” I would have been disowned. My ex, now aware of my borderline personality disorder, still believes it to be the same as narcissistic personality disorder. The stigma is bad enough — the ignorance is what is so overwhelming.
Being here might not be the best place for me. Outside of my shrink’s office, though, I don’t know where else to go. I’m seeing a new PhD/therapist on the 29th. I’m going to quiz her about a couple of things. One will be my participation here — is it good for me or bad for me?
I’m trying to, I want to, create a new life for myself. Or maybe improve upon the life that I have. There are too many obstacles at the moment. I can’t ask for an increase in antipsychotics, though. My delusion is broken and needs mending. Or I need a new delusion.
I am so ****ed up right now.