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EternalCowabunga
Being of Great Significance



Registered: 04/04/05
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Mental illness: coming out of the closet
#19238207 - 12/06/13 08:03 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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So there is a lot of stigma around mental illness. I know a lot of people who take medication but will not be public about it, and have only told me about it because I take medication too.
On social media, nobody talks about their mental illness. I have been told not to talk about it with people or potential girlfriends because it could scare them off.
Isn't it about time we stand proud and strong? Homosexuality is completely accepted now (and rightfully so) but schizophrenic people, of which I am one, are thought to be morally bad people. I am diagnosed schizophrenic and live a fully functional life, my life is barely different than the average person on the outside at least, except I take medication for this one thing..
I am thinking of coming out of the closet on Facebook but do not yet have the courage. What do you guys think?
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Synthe
Gatorade me, bitch!


Registered: 11/10/12
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Prepare to be judged... a lot.
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EternalCowabunga
Being of Great Significance



Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 7,152
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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: Synthe] 1
#19238252 - 12/06/13 08:13 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Lol, that's why I need courage. If nobody stands up and fights the stigma it goes on being stigmatized.
Would you tell a gay person to stay in the closet because people will judge them?
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circastes
Big Questions Small Head



Registered: 01/14/10
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If I'm asked about my life and why 7 years of it were inert, or why, right now, I still really do nothing but the basics, I'm going to say I was depressed, and I'm building my life from the recovery point. I'm not going to say I was schizophrenic. An ordinary person would think you're effing bonkers.
I wouldn't talk about it.
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Everything
(~} ;-}



Registered: 06/26/10
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Someone I know and used to trip with came out on Facebook they were schizophrenic. They didnt formally announce it they kind of just started posting weird shit and saying they went schizo. He definitely bothers me because he posts about psychedelic drugs all the time, like almost every post, and just kind of says random things like he doesn't know what he is talking about, or is unconscious basically.
You sure don't seem like that, people will probably still judge you and probably correlate everything you do that they don't approve of as a symptom to your mental illness.
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jimboob
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I've suffered with social anxiety for 8 years now. It's made my life miserable. If it were a more commonly accepted thing I probably wouldn't have had to go through so much pain and could have gotten some help. But that felt weak and embarrassing, so instead I kept it all hidden inside.
Now I've worked most of it out and am finally coming out of it. SA is less a disease and more a disorder, but still it's such a shameful thing to have to deal with, especially when trying to maintain a normal life. My girlfriend has no idea hanging out with her friends can sometimes make my heart want to pop.
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jimboob
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Quote:
EternalCowabunga said: Lol, that's why I need courage. If nobody stands up and fights the stigma it goes on being stigmatized.
Would you tell a gay person to stay in the closet because people will judge them?
why do you keep using the gay example? Gay =/= mental disorder...
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Spilgrim
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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: jimboob]
#19246396 - 12/08/13 06:05 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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A few years ago, I started hearing voices in my head. it started out as a sarcastic voice demeaning everything I did. I had a psychotic episode where it convinced me that it was the voice of my childhood friend, telling me to find her house and punch her in the face... thankfuly I didnt find her house, I dont know what I would have done if I had. I still have a hard time referring to tbe voice as it instead of her, because of it.
after I snapped out of it I was in a neighborhood I had never seen. I walked for about 20 minutes and found a highway at least 4 miles (!) from my house and walked home.
the next few days were the worst of my life. I receeded into my room where I lay down all day, absorbed in the elaborate paranoid musings of my subconscious mind. I sought help, and went to a therapist for a while which didn't do much but give me a confidential vent. it helped a lot. while I still hear voices, I am able to differentiate between the fiction of my inner voice and reality.
I've been trying to turn it into a Tulpa for increased memory management capabilities, with limited success ( he's been showing up in my dreams a lot so I think it's working) and have been meditating a lot. once I'm in a more self confident and stable mental position I'm going to start dosing myself with low dosage mushroom trips (1-1.5g) for self psychotherapy. it's insulting and discriminatory that these powerful drugs are restricted, even for legitimate medical endeavours like this, but that's a different topic.
I guess the moral of the story is to seek help If you need it.
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cez

Registered: 08/04/09
Posts: 5,854
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Bad idea op..No need to flaunt something so heavy over Facebook. Most those people I'm sure are irrelevant to you as you are them...
All you would do is give them a reason to judge your every action moving forward.
I applaud your logic here though.. Maybe a few years down the line when you are of a proud social status you can disclose your illness...Then it looks like a story of, "I did it and so can you"
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EternalCowabunga
Being of Great Significance



Registered: 04/04/05
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Loc: Time and Space
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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: cez]
#19251547 - 12/09/13 06:00 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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thanks for your feedback guys. I appreciate it.
Yeah, cez, sounds like a good idea. Right now I'm not that high up on the social ladder, so it really wouldn't help with the stigma already attached to it..
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eira
i am excited to be here


Registered: 07/03/11
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I personally think it's a good idea. Very bold and brave, I don't think I would have the courage to do it.
Putting a familiar face to schizophrenia (and other mental illness, but I'm choosing to focus on schizophrenia for now) will eventually help chip away at stigmas that are based primarily upon fear and misunderstanding. A lot of people refuse help because of the stigma...in my case, my brother has for months been on and off about receiving or getting help/treatment because he insists there is nothing wrong. Not to mention, the state of mental "health" (if you can even call the industry that) is absolutely appalling...but that is a series of thoughts/feelings for another time.
Have you heard of neurodiversity? I've become interested in it as a concept because I have the belief that there is nothing inherently "wrong" about another person's reality...no matter how different it is from mine or the accepted norm. At the same time, I can recognize there are thought patterns and behaviors that are not the best for us when it comes to constructing the types of lives we want to lead. I don't know the best way to help move our society into better understanding, accepting, emphasizing, and interacting with mental illness & health. But I am confident that "coming out of the closet" as you put it is a brave and powerful move toward touching at least one mind, heart, spirit and releasing the negativity that comes with our conceptions of mental illness and health.
Good luck, regardless!
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Positive
theArchitect

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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: eira]
#19270228 - 12/13/13 11:03 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'm diagnosed bipolar, I don't take meds though. There are certain triggers & thought patterns that exacerbate it. I believe I identified many of them, not all. Still need to work on some impulse control and somethings.
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides


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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: Synthe]
#19270332 - 12/13/13 11:29 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Synthe said: Prepare to be judged... a lot. 
Yes, and to hear a lot of ill-informed and downright stupid comments and advice about it too.
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invitro


Registered: 05/03/13
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What kind of mental illness are we talking about? In general I would say this is probably not a good idea, posting your mental problems on facebook. mental illnesses are not well understood and people are afraid of what they don't understand. less understanding friends and co-workers may label you as weird, dangerous and unable to be trusted. You might loose your friends and job and hurt your self-esteem. I would stick to more private forums like this one to help you understand your problems and eliminate any backlash you might experience in your real-life.
good luck.
The idea of reducing social stigma is good in theory, but you might pay a very high price, perhaps a price you cannot afford. If you were super rich and had lots of friends you could handle it better. Wait till your super rich and popular if you want to make a social change.
Edited by invitro (12/15/13 05:14 AM)
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circastes
Big Questions Small Head



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Re: Mental illness: coming out of the closet [Re: invitro]
#19279563 - 12/15/13 02:04 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I worked for a woman's husband once and I went into E.R. with psychotic symptoms and she was at the reception and I didn't recognize her and I just plain said I had schizophrenia. She was very skiddish around me after that at work despite being an intelligent person. I was talking to a co-worker once and from the woman's view I was blocking the co-workers visibility and I saw her kind of move around to make sure I was talking to someone that was there.
They'll treat you like a completely 'special' person.
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LordSenate
One of the Lost


Registered: 09/15/02
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Its up to you man but I tell anyone that I enjoy talking to or anyone that shares problems with me.. I think that is part of the healing process, being open and honest about what you're going through. The downside to that is like people have said, some people attach a stigma to people that are mentally disabled. But if the stigma ever goes away, it will be because people that have those problems speak up so other people understand.
I guess it really boils down to if it is worth the risk or not. For me I get much more in return by being open about it.
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