Sordidsass-blog - Sordid Sass

10/23/16

Schizophrenia Jokes

I’m here to talk about schizophrenia jokes. They aren’t funny, you aren’t clever, and we aren’t a walking one liner for you to tell. For starters, most schizo jokes are made at the expense of people with dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities) which is an entirely different thing than schizophrenia or its spectrum, (with its own stigma that I cannot speak to). This is annoying for a myriad of reasons but mostly it goes to show just how little is known about schizophrenia by the lay person and how frustrating it can be to have a disorder no one understands but everyone has an opinion about.

Schizophrenia is a spectrum, similar to the autism spectrum. Many people may have schizophrenia or an associated disorder and be perfectly able to live a normal life independent of assistance of any kind, others require round the clock care, and there are a million versions of ‘inbetween’. Everyone on this spectrum deserves the same amount of respect and kindness as people without schizophrenic disorders. There is literally no reason to assume someone that hears voices can’t hear you laughing at them. Or that someone who sees things that may not be there or believe in things they shouldn’t doesn’t know you’re a huge piece of shit.

Stop talking shit about the homeless people you see that are shouting at no one. Stop making fun of people who live in tin foil lined apartments. Stop assuming you know literally anything about another persons mental health simply because you have witnessed one symptom. Stop thinking that “hearing voices” is somehow a joke in and of itself.

I’m relatively well off, considering I’m on this spectrum, and many of my friends and family had no idea until I told them that I have this disorder. What does that mean? It means most of the time I’m telling these people after they’ve unknowingly made an insensitive remark or an offensive joke at my expense. I’m in a place where telling people about my illness doesn’t put me at risk. I’m lucky in that respect. Most people have negative opinions about schizophrenia – assuming they know what it is when they likely have no idea at all, and assuming those of us on the spectrum are incapable and utterly “crazy”. This stigma means that most people on the spectrum aren’t going to call you out on your shitty jokes for their own safty, so just stop.

If you can’t find a better word to use than schizo, crazy, insane, loopy, psycho etc then you need to beef up your vocab. We aren’t a joke. We don’t deserve to be the butt of your shitty jokes. I’m here for my schizophrenics and I’m determined to see positivity for us on this god forsaken website.

Because even though this year still has seven weeks left, I’m calling it early. 2016 has been the fucking worst.  (bonus:)

[chokes back tears] oh god

Why aren’t there coming of age stories for people in their twenties? Why aren’t there stories about young women like me who are chasing their dreams and romance isn’t involved? Where are my stories about young men trying to figure out who they are? 

Why aren’t there stories about people in their twenties who question their gender and their sexuality too? 

Why aren’t there stories about sad and lonely truth about going to university and grad school? Hell, where are my stories about transfer students that are 25 but they’re surround by 18 year olds in class?

Where are my stories where people freak out about their elementary classmates having children already because hey–they still live with mom and dad and getting a job in this economy sucks? Like who takes care of their child? Are they already successful enough to take care of a baby without the help from mom and dad? 

What do I have to do to get a character that’s not sixteen, but somehow through a random occurance, they have to save the world. They’re still innocent enough to have hope, but jaded enough to know that it can go away.

Why are all stories either about teenagers or people with families or trying to start families and all that jazz?

Just…where are there stories about me right now? 24 and trying to the best that I can.

I could really use stories like that. 

I’ve decided I need to be more spontaneous - stop thinking about things so much and just do them, or else nothing that I want is ever gonna happen. Like today, there were so many things I wanted to do - that I should have done - but I waited too long and missed my chance. So tomorrow I’m gonna try much harder to just do the things that I want - not think about it, so hopefully it will be better.

More relatable quotes about life here (via thelovewhisperer)

“LGBT history is American history.” 

October is LGBT History Month. With every policy we pass and every barrier we break, we must remember and honor those who fought like hell to get us where we are today. We are making LGBT history every damn day. We have been for a long, long time. Keep it up. 

so last night, I came home about 10:30 just to find this abandoned, unlocked, empty post truck just parked on the side of the road near my house, next to the mouth of the woods. It was super odd because post trucks do not run at night, neither do they just suddenly appear unlocked. Now that’s some @sixpenceee shit

If you like more of this, follow @psych2go​.