Schizophrenia and the loss of personality
I have schizoaffective disorder, and I’ve had it a long time. Through the years I’ve been psychotic, I’ve noticed something about the way psychotics, but particularly schizophrenia-spectrum patients are treated by society: like we have no personality.
The prototypical schizophrenic is a mindless, remorseless killer or a mental patient. And think about how that mental patient is portrayed. White gown (possibly blood stained), incoherent, straight jacket or bed restraints. Devoid or personal identity or autonomy. And the schizophrenic killer, how is he (and it is always a he) portrayed? Usually with his face hidden. We are just objects to be feared, pitied, or both. Never are we humans with complex personalities and histories.
How do we fix this? We need better representation in the media, but the mainstream entertainment industry has proven time and time again they won’t do it. We need to get our own stories out there. I’ve said before to live openly as a psychotic person, to talk about your illness. And that’s an excellent thing to do. But I think it’s also important to go a step further and create about your illness, to further spread awareness as to what it’s truly like to be a person with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Use your writing, art, music, what have you, and take the mask off schizophrenia.
(via dybbukdoll)
