[Shadow wings]

I've been ill for over a year with psychosis (schizoaffective) and I'm just beginning to recover after a couple of hospital stays and a meds change. Things are much improved but I do still have hallucinations and paranoia but they are more manageable. My friends don't seem to understand that just because I've improved that I'm still not OK and that daily life is hard with voices. No matter how often I explain it's like no one else understands

I think psychosis can be hard to fully understand and empathize with if you haven't gone through it yourself. Your friends may never totally get what you're going through, unfortunately.

[Ljj7000]

I'm sorry to hear about this. I have had my anxiety invalidated on a few occasions which has made me angry. I can't really give advice but I can relate.

[Shadow wings]

Thanks for your replies. I'd just like them to at least try to understand.

People don't understand mental illness. Some knowledge you can only obtain through experience. I believe the burden of mental illness is the case with this. If you haven't lived it then you're ignorant of it. It's like trying to explain the color red to a colorblind person. It's impossible to describe the color red if you can't experience it. Sure, you can measure the light wave lengths and other objective features but that's epistemologically different than the actual sight of the color red. The same is for depression or any other illness. It's easier to tell something is wrong if you break your leg. They can see that and know you can't mechanically get back up so its obvious you need help, but mental illness is a sinister thing that can't be seen with the visual eye. You can't point to depression, only behavior. It's a quality of our mental life that can't exactly be quantified so readily.

Originally Posted by Day Tripper

People don't understand mental illness. Some knowledge you can only obtain through experience. I believe the burden of mental illness is the case with this. If you haven't lived it then you're ignorant of it. It's like trying to explain the color red to a colorblind person. It's impossible to describe the color red if you can't experience it. Sure, you can measure the light wave lengths and other objective features but that's epistemologically different than the actual sight of the color red. The same is for depression or any other illness. It's easier to tell something is wrong if you break your leg. They can see that and know you can't mechanically get back up so its obvious you need help, but mental illness is a sinister thing that can't be seen with the visual eye. You can't point to depression, only behavior. It's a quality of our mental life that can't exactly be quantified so readily.

I agree. I keep most things to myself, I just find it easier than trying to explain myself all the time.

I hope you can find a way to help them understand.

ETA: I believe that there's YouTube videos simulating voice hearing experiences so, if that's one thing you want them to understand, you could see if they'd be willing to listen to them whilst trying to have a conversation with you, and that might help them see how difficult it can be...

*Willow*

[NeedHaldol]

I still have symptoms of my illness - intrusive thoughts, minor paranoia, but I don't hear voices anymore. There will be sometimes when I catch myself slipping into a paranoid tunnel and am able to self talk my way out.

I have been well for over 10 years. I just don't tell anyone about them because they are so minor and infrequent to mention.

[Shadow wings]

Thank you for all your replies. I agree a lot of people just don't understand mental illness. I guess I'm just a bit p***ed off that if I'd been in hospital with pneumonia or something people would understand my need to recover for more than a few weeks whereas with this because things have improved some I'm getting questioned on when I'm going back to work etc and little understanding that everyday I'm still dealing with this horrible illness it's just more manageable now