[sduck]

Let's be honest, do schizophrenics really have a positive future? Most people are ignorant about mental illness. Standing by that, they either don't care or they care too much when encountering someone they've been told is mentally ill.

Schizophrenia has way too much stigma behind it, and in my experience some people will give their opinion (which is a usually very ignorant one) and then move on, and some people can never let it go, and it's the only thing they see to the point where they use it against you every chance they get. That experience was traumatizing to me, because it made me think I had no future, because some people will make comments and write you off as someone who is incapable of functioning like a normal person, no matter what you say and do.

I mean, I don't want to judge anyone here, but what's the point in even living if you can't be accepted in society? What can you even accomplish?
I refuse to live the rest of my life being branded and labeled someone who is incapable of having normal affairs. Being treated for not who I am, but what I am. It's bad enough being born a certain race, gender, or sexuality, but those are things people actually stand up for in social conflicts. While mental illness is only understood by so few, even though present in so many.

You can get away with anxiety, ADHD, depression, or even bipolar but when it comes to schizophrenia, all people see is crazy. They see you at the lowest end of the genetic pool.

I have no choice but to get this diagnosis change some way or another. I know I have life experience. Had friends, been to parties, etc. That's unfair that it all ends and means nothing because of a label.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Changing the diagnosis does not change who you are-----have you read the center cannot hold by elyn sacks. She has both a law degree and one in therapy and she has schizophrenia. There are successful people with an sz diagnosis.

[flutterfree]

actually i find bipolar worse then skitzophrenia

[-Astral-]

you are not your diagnoses
people get too wraped up in what they than who they are
Its a label it dont change who you are its dont change the people that love you that TRUELY LOVE YOU who knows and trust you
yes i can understand that you need to know whats going on for you to help you get better but there is a point where label stops and you begin

[greentires4me]

2012-2015 I was diagnosis as BPD, Depression, GAD, narissitcpd. I took DBT and it didn't help me at all I gained nothing from it at all except a sore butt from a 3hour commute to/from the transit I took...horrible I tell ya. Nurses kept telling me that its just the BPD talking that I wasn't hearing voices and that I was just making it all up. I was overdosing atleast 3 times a month I said it was the voices who told me to do it they kept saying I had the choice in the matter but I was scared really really scared.

But I knew something was wrong because that wasn't me I went to a new pdoc and she diagnosis me with psychosis at first then as time went on she got to know me and realized I had schizophrenia its been a year and 5months I hear voices that tell me to kill myself and others who wants to hear scary sh.t like that? and I go psychotic once in a blue moon now with the right medication its really helps before I was on loads of muscular shots that hurt and really didn't do anything for me. my last pdoc didn't know what she was doing she put me on high dose of a muscular shot that would of left permanent damage to my face my now pdoc was shocked and immediately weened me off the muscular shot and put me on only meds that I could swallow.

I have made progress my voices aren't as loud about "kill kill kill" lately because of a certain someone not that I would ever kill anyone just that they ask me to. And I haven't overdosed since November 12 2014 but the voices still want me to jump in front of trains or off buildings but they don't get their way.

WE have to stand up for ourselves and tell people that we are here to stay that we will not back down and inform them that we aren't here to be a nuisance to society as a whole if no one knows about us then how are they suppose to form an proper opinion about us?

[ninjasm]

It is none of their business what your diagnosis is. You don't have to tell anyone anything. You can be judged by your visible actions rather than you invisible diagnosis. Maybe they'll just see you as a little quirky.

[OliverB]

Weh, you don't have to tell anyone about your diagnosis, also, personally I found BPD worse when It's about stigmatization because even mental healh professionals stigmatize you. Of course, normal people often mistake schizophrenia as being a serial killer or having multiple personalities, but you can explain it is not.

What I would do is telling your diagnosis only to people you trust and not everyone.

[lazlo]

About 40 million Americans have a diagnosable mental illness.
Stigma was around for homosexuals. Now its less.
Stigma was around black people marrying white people. Now its less.
Stigma was around a woman being single. Now its less.
Mental illness -- the perception of it will change. You'll see.
Find a medication that works. It can really help.

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