Indulging in a little empathy today. It’s hard for us but also so, so hard for them.
Stigma is so real, at least to those who have any degree of insight. SZ hits indiscriminately, affecting people of every background, from the simplest souls to the most highly intelligent.
The loss of dignity, of pride, of self-worth when a diagnosis is flagged on a chart and the person is treated differently than others. It’s tempting to think that in such situations, “paranoia” is a description of the reality they observe and feel, not just a delusion.
That is an interesting thought. They are definitely treated different, I have noticed it so much when I was with my son. He would not get many smiles from store cashiers because he looked unkept and different. Neighbors seemed afraid of him, I totally was aware of it. Put his paranoia on top of this stigma and it is a disaster. When someone did talk to him kindly I was so happy and I thought that person must have someone in their life that was suffering with severe mental illness and they understood that he needed a little kindness.