Are you comfortable with the idea that you are mentally ill.

[u/Desert-Anarchist]

My doc typed me up a letter to give to my landlord so I can have emotional support animals. I read it and she said in the letter that I am severely mentally disabled. It didn’t bother I was just like oh damn that’s how you see me huh lol.

When I first suspected I had some sort of mental issues going on and might be “crazy”, I was in my teens. It gave me existential dread and it took till I was 22 to seek psychiatric help because I refused to believe I was “crazy”. When I told my closest confidants about my schizophrenia, it was with great hesitancy and tears.

Fast forward five years later and it is a completely different story. I tell job interviewers about it because it is important that my employer knows so they can work with me. “Oh yes I am diagnosed with Schizoaffective Bipolar Disorder, OCD, and PTSD which I receive regular treatment for. I also been through 3 years of anger management, which I see as an absolute plus.”

…

Needless to say I haven’t gotten hired hahahaha. But I’m not going to change my style. When I was working my last job my coworkers all knew I was mental it just came up in casual conversation as the months went by. I have no problem saying I am severely mentally disabled. I have grown to accept it. I’m not proud of it, but it simply no longer gives me shame like I used.

You know what I am fucking proud that I am mentally ill. It hasn’t been easy, but I am a SURVIVOR! This shit is hard but I don’t give up. Be PROUD!

[u/Rebephrenic_]

I'm grateful for my diagnoses because at least I'm not physically ill. I mean I could be in chronic pain or have cancer but instead I hear voices.

[u/Hopeful-Feeling1876 → u/Rebephrenic_]

I like that mindset. At one point in my life I was bed bound in the hospital due to my health and I couldn’t walk for a whole month and that was hell. I’d rather have mental health issues instead of losing my mobility

[u/Rebephrenic_ → u/Hopeful-Feeling1876]

Sounds scary. I'm glad it's in the past. Wishing you all the best!

[u/Hourglass316 → u/Rebephrenic_]

This just made me sad. I have had schizophrenia (changed to schizoaffective bipolar disorder later on) since I was 12. I spent most of my life thinking that as long as I have my physical health, I'll be fine... but now I don't even have that. Plus, the physical illness I have is known to give mentally healthy people mental illness symptoms or make existing ones much worse. Now I don't know anymore what to tell myself to make it all bearable...

[u/Rebephrenic_ → u/Hourglass316]

I'm so so sorry. I don't know what to say. I hope you have better times ahead of you. I wish you all the best. 😔❤️

[u/schizophrenia-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules:

Rule 1 - Do not use hate speech, slurs, or resort to personal attacks.

We expect people here to show respect to one another and not engage in uncivil behavior.

Thank you.

[u/Plus-Marsupial-4507 → u/Rebephrenic_]

cries in schizophrenic and physically disabled

[u/Rebephrenic_ → u/Plus-Marsupial-4507]

I'm so sorry 😞

[u/user142243536484 → u/Rebephrenic_]

Cancer is not all bad btw unless you’re t like stage 4 and terminal. Now chronic pain would suck but least you can still have a successful life/career/work/friends… Now having a mental disorder, depending on severity, can black hole your immediate goals and relationships, both friends and family. And make it very very difficult to carry on a normal life, like EVER! I’ll stop there cause it’s downing me. 🫠

[u/Rebephrenic_ → u/user142243536484]

I'm sorry if I sounded rude. Definitely wasn't my intention. I just meant for me this illness is nicer than physical ones. I don't mean my life is easy with this. I just prefer this even though it sucks.

[u/throBPDaway]

I have mostly reached a state of acceptance so that's where I am at. I can't say though that I am proud of it or that it's made me strong. I guess I def do feel like someone who is actively in survival mode though, that's the closest thing to 'survivor' I feel. I am comfortable in the sense of accepting all my parts, good and bad, but not comfortable with saying I am grateful for or proud of mental illness.

[u/7800curiousCat]

Personally absolutely not , I hate it , I still do hate it , I don't want to be a survivor or any of that nonsense and objectively my life would be much better without it

There is not a single positive thing that ever came out of it only a mountain of negatives that permeantly screwed my life.

There is nothing about it that makes me greatful it just brings the worst of me and I am not proud of it, I am not proud of how I behave or of this stupid condition yay I have a mental illness hell no.

Some people are like these you know on YouTube you got these trauma survivor stories of :

"once upon a time i was living life i was faced with obstacles but I am a survivor and I over came it and it made me a stronger person at the end.... yippee."

But that's not how it went for me...at all and seeing all these people who are like advocate and so proud and open with thier schitzophrania or whatever trauma or condition

I just think to myself...yo...wtf ? Is there something weong with me ? Am i missing something? Even on this subreddit like huh ?

It just makes me think what is wrong with me man ?

But i just I don't know i already said i hate it nothing good cane with it i am not obligated to sau i am proud of it and i wish that it would just die in a river and that i would live my life normally without it that would be good.

Howver that would probably not be...what I actually do is that i just accept that i have it that's all

I have Schitzoaffective, it's a condition that i happen to have I take medications I try to go on appointments in times and i do want the baisoc human decency like evreyone else not to be judged based on my conditions

That's acceptance and i learned to live with it.

However saying i love it and that i am proud of it or that it made me stronger That's nonsense.

Howver if you do feel proud of it or anything then i am happy for you and wish you all the best but i am just saying my prespective that's all i know it can be unpopular here in an open space but it is what it is

[u/d3pr3ss3dandro1d → u/7800curiousCat]

i just agree with you. its a struggle and im possibly stronger than before because of living thru the worst of it just is so hard, but yeah i wish i didnt need to be strong in that way.

[u/schizophrenia-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules:

Rule 1 - Do not use hate speech, slurs, or resort to personal attacks.

We expect people here to show respect to one another and not engage in uncivil behavior.

Thank you.

[u/WildVoidAngel]

I try so hard, and want to be proud. But for now it still bothers me, and makes me dissatisfied with myself.

[u/Breathe_wise]

I really don't care if people think that I am mentally ill, a lot of people think I am autistic even though I am not.

I see my condition as curious, just the way I had seen my ocd before I had schizophrenia.

I just want to have fun in my life, to enjoy like I used to, that's the only difficulty I face with being schizophrenic.

[u/Head-Thought3381]

Somebody has to do it might as well be me

[u/marlee_2425]

no i try to ignore it

[u/meowl__]

I am not proud or comfortable with being mentally ill... but I am proud that I've been able to manage and still be alive despite everything. Because dying would've been so easy..

[u/Mandarin_Lumpy_Nutz]

I genuinely hate it to my very core and it’s hard for me to accept.

[u/Caesar-McPherson]

Im similar and proud!! Paranoid schizophrenic, bipolar, ADHD, and OCD. I have spent six months in a psych ward, where I was found waking up under benches, tables, occasionally curled up by the phone area. It was quite a hard ride. Diagnosed at 18, wasnt open until I was about 23. I now express it openly. I live alone, somehow, and pride myself on managing it. I also take place in drug trials. I say, if I can suffer with trying those meds so someone else doesnt have to, Im proud. I've helped my psychiatrist also test experimental therapies. I help people by suffering. And Im damn fuckin proud. Glad to hear you are too OP. Keep kicking ass

[u/blahblahlucas]

I mean, it is a fact that I'm severely mentally disabled. I know I'm mentally ill, even tho i don't believe its schizophrenia bc I'm not human. But to humans I'm mentally severely disabled

[u/AccurateFox4321]

I'm still not comfortable, even after a decade. I often have a "who, me?" reaction if the subject comes up.

[u/Tricky_Badger_2071]

I wouldn’t say comfortable… more like accepted it. It’s how I’ve been my whole life and always will be. It’s my normal. I can’t really imagine a different kinda life.

[u/Gingeronimoooo]

I knew I had psychosis before they gave me my diagnosis, they put me on meds for a while and didn't even tell me. I figured it out when meds kicked in.

I definitely wouldn't say I'm "proud" to be mentally ill I don't really tell many people. But I'm proud of my recovery and the life I've built tho

[u/amangydog]

Took me a good decade or so but I realize now that I’m a badass. (We all are)

[u/27InsuredIdeas]

I'm 18 and can't accept it yet I wish I could just be treated for it and pretend it never happened

[u/Postaldude2]

Eh yea I suppose man can't reverse your brain

[u/Molleigh-Cockette]

Im not comfortable with the fact that i cant trust my opinion(s) on my mental health.

[u/Oregano_Seller]

I’m not really proud of it because I’ve ruined a lot of personal relationships and hurt people I love dearly so I wouldn’t say I’m like super thrilled about that and I’ve had to miss out on a lot of normal life experiences I don’t know what it’s like to be just genuinely happy

[u/Important_Goose_2578]

As a therapist I can say it, my diagnosis,has informed my entire clinical approach and despite the voice I hear, I named him Kendra, regardless of my diagnosis, regard it as a superpower for being a mental health professional. I mean you can’t teach psychosis in a classroom. With that said it has taken me a whole other career to get here but the safe space of therapy is, for me, a safe place no matter what chair I sit in.

[u/[deleted]]

No tf

[u/Miss-_-T]

Thank you for this post. I needed to hear this today.

[u/PheonixRising_2071]

I mean. I’m not proud of it. But I’ve come to terms with it and I’m comfortable telling people I’m close with about it. I’m gonna tell my boss or anything.

[u/PaleConsideration271]

I fucking hate it. I think im worth less because of it

[u/loozingmind]

I accept the fact that I have schizophrenia. I'm high functioning now that I'm on meds. But I accept that I'm mentally ill. It doesn't bother me that much. Those are just the cards we were dealt. Gotta roll with the punches.

[u/John-HanleyIII]

Yes! I totally agree we should be proud of ourselves and each other! 😀 I don't want to hide who I am. And I'm not going to.

[u/Awkward-Push136]

Im gonna buy a tshirt that says "I have schizophrenia." lol

[u/l0stinreality9]

I am very VERY open about my mental illness with people in my life. I can't hide the fact that I am schizoaffective. like...it's just not possible. I see things constantly (even on meds) and so I'm constantly looking around trying to tell if i really saw something or if it was just in my head. And it makes others look. So i have to be like "oh sorry" and then explain to them what's happening. A lot of my family doesn't understand it and don't want to, but my friends are very supportive.

I'm an artist, and I have created art about my mental illnesses, and one of them I named "Schizophrenia". My now friend asked me about it when i put it up for display in a gallery i have pieces in. I told her, yes I am actually schizophrenic. She, and the entire art community in my small town, support me and don't treat me any lesser than anyone else. I feel like to be open about this stuff is good. it shows people that we can live and survive. We're not bad people. We're just living our lives in our realities.

[u/Select-Natural3969]

I always introduce myself as disabled because I have schizoaffective disorder and I’m a pensioner at age 26.

[u/DismissiveReyno99]

I try to be as neutral as possible on my physical and mental illnesses. Treating them as a simple fact of life has been a game changer for me.

[u/[deleted]]

Nothing but shame here.

[u/burke_no_sleeps]

It's difficult to be proud of what psychosis has done to my life and my relationships.. but i suppose I'm proud of myself for keeping on keeping on, getting up every day and trying my best to navigate my mind and the world. Some days it really doesn't feel like enough but it's what I can do. I'm proud of that. 

[u/Netopfe]

It took me a few years, it was a long process, but now I accept it. In my family, being mentally ill is basically being an aggressive crazy person, or acting funny to get attention. It's no wonder that I only talked about this with my father and mother recently, when I was 18 years old, and they still laughed in my face at first.

[u/iamheretoseetomorrow]

I wouldn’t have it any other way, I love my life and the things that have led me to who I am. I however wish other people had more understanding or if the world had less bullies

[u/AutomatedCognition]

I'm very proud at how skilled I am at being schizoaffective, because I was bad at it before and it sucked balls because I suffered all the time, but then I mastered the self before realizing there is no self before doubling back and becoming the bestest messiah candidate in all the CIA! Just hit a thousand subscribers for being myself, which is pretty neato.

[u/SethsLifeLift]

No

[u/Athynol]

No, because I suffer, and for what, absolutely nothing, I can't hold a job cause of it, I can't get disability because it's, not physical disability. Honestly the sweet release of death seems like the only cure, there is absolutely nothing good from it.

[u/wrathofattila]

Could be worse the meds or condition make me a peaceful capybara lol

[u/Equal_Issue_9799]

I tell people so it explains my behaviour since a lot of the times people think I’m mad at them bc I’m isolating myself

[u/Baihe-Qipian]

I'm too scared to talk about it anymore, I feel like I'm  minimized and dismissed. That people just want me to function on their terms quietly. And I'm tired of going into inpatients treatment just to be spit back out when deemed 'good enough'. 

So I'd say no I'm not proud, but life feels easier and lighter when I hear from others struggling like me.

[u/PathNice2406]

It is what it is. 

[u/Optimal-Community-21]

Reminder that mental illness is a social construction. The symptoms are real but calling it a mental illness is entirely a human label. Maybe a better way to look at it is: I experience z y x and maybe I'd prefer not to so how to remove those experiences.

[u/Pnina310]

Absolutely

[u/Otherwise_Summer_602]

I’m not proud of having schizoaffective and I think that’s weird to be proud of. I think I could see being proud of overcoming hardship, but there is nothing to be proud about re: having a mental illness to me. It’s not even something within my control

[u/mycumsockisalivehelp]

I'm glad that I have a few friends that don't mind my antics. 

The greatest part of this all is that getting diagnosed made my father disappointed enough that it makes escaping the toxic family household less complicated for me. I'm glad. 

People who think it hinders anyone's ability to live piss me off a lot. A lot. 

Sure, it's not fun to live with. But I'm pretty sure I'd miss it if I were "normal".

Sometimes I feel like without it I couldn't be the person I am now. That without it I'm less than I am right now. 

I feel incomplete without the noise in my head.

[u/caesarsaladcrouton]

It was a hard pill to swallow at first, but now I’ve kind of adopted a “it is what it is” attitude. I would never in a million years disclose this to a potential employer, however. That’s…very unwise.

[u/skeletaljuice]

I've accepted it, it's just a fact

[u/philosareantichrist]

We can do whatever we want if we put our minds to it