With all the awareness of mental health, why is psychotic illness never really mentioned?

Thanks for posting this.
Unfortunately, I think Schizophrenia is still stigmatized due to being unglamorous, not fixable, and too much for the average person to get their head around. I would welcome more education on it, also more information surrounding the link between it, and smoking weed.
I used to consider myself fairly well educated, in regards to mental health. I’ve also been diagnosed with various conditions.
I think people think of things like, Clinical Depression, or GAD, etc, as something regular people go through. I know I was incredibly naive about psychosis in general, until I experienced it!
My psychotic episodes were due to experience Menopause-associated psychosis. Thankfully, it’s been almost a year since the last one.

I'm so pleased he's got good support. Unfortunately there seems to be a big gap for some people. They'll have an episode which would have devastating consequences, but by the time MH professionals see them they present as 'normal' again.
Wishing you both the best x

I have CPTSD, PTSD and a severe dissociative disorder. I don't work because it's unmanageable but otherwise I present very well from the outside. When you or other people saw me out or said good morning you would probably think I was fine and there was nothing wrong with me at all - if I even mentioned anything you might think 'yeah you and everyone'. But the stress of work is more than I can manage and when I have tried I have ended up becoming extremely unwell and leaving without notice.

Then there are lots of people who believe they have dissociative disorders, or fake them online, and that leads to many people and even clinicians not believing in the disorders at all.

Basically there are different kinds of stigma - people who still don't like to talk about overt SMI and then people who think that unless you can see it from twenty paces it doesn't exist.

This. My dh has had psychotic episodes and this is certainly true for both of us.
I am so thankful we have a good GP surgery and nurse practitioner at the CMHT.

I have a family member who has recently been sectioned with severe psychosis / schizophrenia . It's a dreadful disease and I think underfunded.

My heart goes out to anyone who suffers from it or has family who do.

💐 to all

Hi @NightTerrieri have Schizoaffective which is a mixture of schizophrenia and bipolar. Also autism & epilepsy. Only literally 2 of my close friends know the truth due to the stigma, also my manager at my part time job knows (her daughter is autistic and EUPD so she’s understanding). I get PIP and no one except immediate family know that although others do suspect because of things they’ve said.
To other friends and work colleagues I imply I have bipolar as it’s slightly more ‘acceptable’ than an illness beginning with ‘schizo..’ and I admit to the epilepsy now. But I don’t mention the autism either.
I do feel different to others although I’ve been told that I mask very well.

My brother has schizophrenia, also thought to be triggered by smoking weed as a teenager. It's a horrible illness. He's such a good hearted, kind man but some of the things he's done while he's been psychotic have been almost unbelievable. He is unable to work, he would never be able to hold a job down, although I know he would like to.

I think that social media has made a lot of people feel that depression and anxiety are now things everyone has rather than actual mental illnesses. Some people almost wear then as a badge of honour. Schizophrenia and similar illnesses are just too messy and inconvenient to be seen in the same way. I'm sorry you're suffering with it OP, and thank you for starting this thread.

Unfortunately the number of people talking about very mild “mental health” when they mean poor mental health,( we all have mental health, mine is good,) means that people seem to forget that there’s lots of much more serious conditions which are lifelong and very disabling. My cleaner at work has schizophrenia with court mandated management daily, yet people say to him “I’ve got mental health, when they in reality have mild anxiety, which I’m not saying should be dismissed but it’s not the same.

I think if you have a friend or family member with schizophrenia or bipolar you are probably well informed. What would you like people to know? Everyone is individual and someone might get the help they need and thrive and others have a tough life.

I agree that the dangers around weed etc are massively underplayed.

What they mean by 'mental illness' is usually just emotional discomfort. They're also mysteriously well enough and have enough energy to hassle the medical profession for help.

I agree i used to be a mental health nurse and nobody ever talk about severe and enduring mental illness
People think they know all about mental illness ,but they are only scratching the surface

The slightly emotionally uncomfortable people have over medicalised their perfectly normal responses to the daily grind and this has led to the misunderstanding and pushing out of people who are genuinely sick.

I have major, aka endogenous depression and my friend is actually making me feel a lot worse by totally dismissing the fact that it causes inability to talk, socialise and affects my nervous system, which even causes me to fall over and not be able to see or hear properly. Keeps trying to get me to do stuff which I just can't do.

People can't cope with the concept of psychosis because it's not 'sexy' and doesn't involve artfully posed instagran posts of attractive young women in cosy cardigans lightly dabbing their eyes with a lace handkerchief whilst clutching a cup of chamomile tea 🙄 #askmehowdepressediam

Yes I wish there had been discussion around this and I wish there was more effort now to raise awareness.

I smoked it a few times in my teens and when I later learn about the connection with schizophrenia I was horrified that I hadn't been aware of the risks because I would have absolutely avoided it given my family history.

I only found out when it triggered schizophrenia in a university friend.

I agree with you @NightTerrier

I think we've progressed as a society with certain mental health conditions but others are still poorly treated and understood by the public at large.

I have an aunt with schizophrenia and it frustrates me the stereotypes and ignorance around the condition. She's a much loved and kind family member who has raised a very happy and successful daughter

I don't think the current obsession with mental health 'issues' help those suffering with true mental illness at all - quite the contrary.

The normal range of human emotion has become medicalised.

I also find it unfathomable that some people are so ready to claim that they have, say, BPD (EUPD) as if it's a self-diagnosable condition and not a serious illness with a high mortality rate.

In terms of work, I had to tell occupational health and my managers when I returned to work because of the nature of my job.

Socially, are you suggesting that I should keep it hidden from friends and family? I refuse to hide it because I am not ashamed of it. If those of us with these disorders aren’t open about it how do we change attitudes?

@GreenPoms 100% agree with you. I currently attend group therapy for bipolar 1 & 2. All of us have experienced being told by medical professionals that we are just anxious etc when having undeniable serious physical conditions - eg bowel obstructions/ broken bones etc Which someone without the diagnosis probably wouldn’t experience.
As for the micro managing at work - it adds to an already stressful day ime.
agree with your comment that celebrities experiences do not equate to real life experience at all.

My grandmother had this and really struggled for most of her life with it. My friend on the other hand has been medicated for almost twenty years and works full time, socialises, exercises and has three children with it. You would never, ever know unless she told you.

I think this is it. People don’t want to know if it can’t be fixed by a tablet and therapy.

Hello @NightTerrier I'm so glad you began this thread. I have a family member with a psychotic illness and the more I can understand the better.

I think it's due to stigma. Also people who've never either experienced witnessed someone in psychosis finds it almost impossible to understand.

That you cannot reason with them, that they will behave in ways that they never ever would normally, it's completely against their own volition. And the things they say and say they can see and hear make so little sense to an 'ordinary' person.

It's almost a phenomenon that has to be seen/experienced to be believed. And it can obviously be absolutely devastating for the sufferer and those around them.