When do you tell a friend you're diagnosis? Help!

[Yoruichi]

I had a difficult time with friends for a long time. I withdrew from social interaction and didn't go out with any of my old friends but I'm just now calling them up and going out with them. However I'm now to the point where I'm wondering: when is it right to tell them I have schizophrenia? One of my friends already knows but I have a new friend Beth that I've known for a while however we're just now starting to become good friends. She thinks I have bipolar.
I'm changing meds and getting sick on them and I'm going through a lot and I don't know if it's right to tell her yet or how to tell her. I don't want to freak her out.

What do I do?

 

[BillFish]

Tell them you have " a thought disorder which is controlled well with medication", the term and label "schizophrenia"has so many negative Conertations for some people.I would only tell a very close trusted friend the complete story, personally.

 

[jamesdean]

I think that I have told about 7 people only in 40 years of poor mh.JD

 

[Paranoid MisterE]

My friends knew straight away that there was something "wrong" after my episode with me so I found myself telling my closest friends who understood.

 

[sallyG]

i told my mother in law on saturday of my diagnosis..she nows thinks im a danger to my family and society,..i thought after four years of knowing her i could trust her with my diagnosis..i wasnt prepared for her comments...good luck in telling your friends..hope they give you the support you need .x

 

[NeoDelta]

Telling friends can be a hard thing to do as you dont knwo what there reaction to you will be. You say your friend thinks your bipolar, could you tell them its a little bit more than bipolar and that you have psychosis, that way you dont have to come out stright saying you have schizophrenia, but your not lying to them by saying you have psychosis.

Im lucky in the sense that i have told my friends my diagnosis of schizophrenia and my two closest friends have been very supportive and understanding.

Hope that helps a little
xx

 

[IntrospectionFtw!]

I had no choice really since they were all there when i went mad for the first time...and several times after since my social life was built around drug taking
i dont really bang on about my illness anymore just keep it to myself but it can be hard to exist socially if you cant give a reason for your behaviour sometimes though telling them your mad doesnt exactly make that any better
its up to you chances are your friend might suspect something anyway im sure she'll accept you for who u are...i would put it as mild as possible maybe say you have ocd instead of schizophrenia because of obviously all the associated stigma it really doesnt help though in my experience jus remember back to when you was younger and how you thought about "crazy" people thats how most people still think.

 

[maudikie]

From Maudikie.

You don't need to tell anyone other than say you have a condition which makes you tired, and you have to take medication for it. I think they have now changed the name to psychosis, but no doubt that will eventually be avoided by the public. You are fortunate to have friends. They should give you some support.
Take care and good luck.