# Do other people think you're mentally ill/crazy?



## UnusualSuspect (Feb 24, 2014)

And by that I mean they think you have some sort of serious mental illness like schizophrenia. Because by the way some people treat me / react to me, I swear to god they legitimately think I'm the type of guy who hallucinates or hears voices in his head or something, like some delusional lunatic.


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## UnusualSuspect (Feb 24, 2014)

PS: If you actually DO have a serious mental illness, then of course that would explain it so no need to reply in that case. I'm talking about them thinking that because of your anxiety or outwardly weird behaviour / appearance / mannerisms in general.


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## Goopus (Apr 11, 2011)

My friend's wife nicknamed me 'Dahmer' when I spent nearly an entire Thanksgiving party sitting silently on the sofa amongst the others avoiding eye contact, expressionless.


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## truant (Jul 4, 2014)

I think people have to get to know me before they start realizing how ill I am. Up until then, I think they just think I'm weird and/or eccentric.



Goopus said:


> My friend's wife nicknamed me 'Dahmer' when I spent nearly an entire Thanksgiving party sitting silently on the sofa amongst the others avoiding eye contact, expressionless.


How rude.


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## theCARS1979 (Apr 26, 2010)

*do other people think*

Im to the point where I dont care what they think


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

AwkwardUglyWeirdo said:


> And by that I mean they think you have some sort of serious mental illness like schizophrenia. Because by the way some people treat me / react to me, I swear to god they legitimately think I'm the type of guy who hallucinates or hears voices in his head or something, like some delusional lunatic.


Yah, I've been called retarded, disease, lost cause, it is really sad -- that they call us this instead of understanding social anxiety and our secondary disorders, I feel sorry for those people, they are stupid.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Yep - I do. It's interesting to see. They have no idea I'm sane, just nervous. :lol 
"At least the _voices_ are friendly!" :eyes :troll


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## classicalpaint (Jan 17, 2015)

Not generally, but I also try pretty hard to maintain a "normal" facade. When I let it go, I definitely get the judgmental and/or pitying looks. One time a girl at school found out I have SA and she stared at me all period and mouthed "Are you okay?" every few minutes. I was okay after I left that class...
My mom's fiance often seems genuinely worried about my mental health. Not only am I diagnosed with a bunch of stuff - I'm also just slightly eccentric. At least I admit it.


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## Genos (Dec 17, 2014)

probably


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## Carlfrukt (Jun 28, 2012)

Many people assume that I'm intellectually disabled (or "retarded" as some people would put it). When I was younger it used to disturb me a lot and even hurt me but now I have realized that it's to my advantage. When people think I'm intellectually disabled they will be more forgiving when I act in ways that are socially inappropriate. People also have less expectations for me. And even if I truly am intellectually disabled (which I have started to suspect) it's not that bad. It wouldn't make me a worse person. Most intellectually disabled people I have known have been wonderful persons.

I'm not sure why people assume I'm intellectually disabled but there could be several reasons. I have a speech disorder and some people may believe that strange speech patterns are limited to people with intellectual disabilities. I talk very rarely and some people may think that means I'm too unintelligent to come up with anything to say. I never look anyone in the eyes and I have a weird posture and I walk in a weird way. I'm also extremely nervous when I'm around people and when I'm nervous I'm often at a loss of words. When someone asks me a question it usually takes me time to prepare an answer which could make me come across as slow.


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## tea111red (Nov 8, 2005)

lol, probably.


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## goko45 (Feb 9, 2015)

yep. However, if your enemy wants to think that then let him. It is easier to take them down if they underestimate you. Think of it like chess. You can't win if you are more worried about what your opponents thinks of you instead of how they are playing.


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## Squirrelevant (Jul 27, 2008)

I think so. I wouldn't say people think I'm schizophrenic, just that I'm very much outside what is normal or expected... in a bad way.


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## ScorchedEarth (Jul 12, 2014)

I have no proof, but I think so.


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## Farideh (Nov 13, 2011)

Just my family


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## losthismarbles (Jul 5, 2014)

I people keep thinking I'm on drugs. Which is ironic because I pretty much don't ever take anything or even drink. So I've got less drugs in me than pretty much anyone.


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## Imbored21 (Jun 18, 2012)

losthismarbles said:


> I people keep thinking I'm on drugs. Which is ironic because I pretty much don't ever take anything or even drink. So I've got less drugs in me than pretty much anyone.


Me too.


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## Cmasch (Jan 24, 2015)

I hope people think I'm crazy, it would give me a slight excuse for feeling like a loser sometimes. Or maybe I'm just a crazy loser! lol


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## Spungo (Jul 30, 2012)

Most people seem to be aware that I'm bipolar. I was probably the last person to figure it out. 

I can give an example of this. Last year, I was 100% convinced that I would some day run a hedge fund, and I had decades of hard work planned out in my mind. I follow the news, and I watch the stock and bond markets every day. Being enthusiastic about investing is fine, but absolutely believing I would run a hedge fund is manic. It's unreasonable. A lot of my life has been in weird cycles of hard working optimism and suicidal depression. There was a time when I was working monday to friday as a chemist, and working saturday and sunday at mcdonalds. Working 7 days per week, every week, and I did that for a few months. Then the mania ends, I quit my job at mcdonalds, and I was fired from my chemistry job. I was totally unemployed for a few months. I've started telling people that I'm bipolar, and everyone says the same thing: "that would explain a lot." Not one person was surprised by this.


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## VeMuñeca (Sep 5, 2013)

Not really. They think I'm eccentric, but find me likeable.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

I'm sure some do. 

Most think of me as "odd" or "different" or "special". When I was a kid, I was just labeled as "shy". The older I got the more it became that there must be "something wrong" with me because most adults grow out of their shell...or so it's thought. I can speak and communicate normally but just get really anxious doing it. My dad was the same way. No doubt there is a genetic factor involved here. However, none of my extended family have this problem, or at least they hide it very well. We all react to these things in our own way.


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

Spungo said:


> *Most people seem to be aware that I'm bipolar. I was probably the last person to figure it out.
> *
> I can give an example of this. Last year, I was 100% convinced that I would some day run a hedge fund, and I had decades of hard work planned out in my mind. I follow the news, and I watch the stock and bond markets every day. Being enthusiastic about investing is fine, but absolutely believing I would run a hedge fund is manic. It's unreasonable. A lot of my life has been in weird cycles of hard working optimism and suicidal depression. There was a time when I was working monday to friday as a chemist, and working saturday and sunday at mcdonalds. Working 7 days per week, every week, and I did that for a few months. Then the mania ends, I quit my job at mcdonalds, and I was fired from my chemistry job. I was totally unemployed for a few months. I've started telling people that I'm bipolar, and everyone says the same thing: *"that would explain a lot." Not one person was surprised by this*.


I have had the same reaction from people - plus I also was the last person to accept it, I still don't sometimes. 

Your hedgefund story is a good one - I remember reading a book once a couple of years back and for some reason I was convinced that I could do exactly what one of the characters was doing in the book - which was trading on the market in a completely unrealistic way and making a fortune. It's incredible how mania can make these things seem perfectly reasonable at the time.

Another time I was up in Bali - I had a very nice villa with a private swimming pool. The only problem was that I thought it was quite reasonable to wash all of my clothes in the swimming pool - at 3 in the morning. Seemed like a completely rational thing to do.

When I finally got home my wife said two things:

1. I want a divorce.

and

2. You're bipolar.


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## BackToThePast (Aug 31, 2012)

They definitely do. My anxiety prevents me from being able to look around freely when surrounded by people. Without even trying, my eyes dart around their faces, which can easily be misinterpreted as something I don't have. And I'm often not able to speak freely. That's got to set off crazy flags for a lot of people.

Whatever. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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## SA go0n (Mar 5, 2014)

Oh yeah. I've been called crazy or insane or retarded too many times to keep track of. I remember one time someone called me "Captain Insano". It was the highlight of my life.


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## JustSmileZee (Nov 16, 2012)

People tell me sometime that it seems like i either hide my SA really well or it's not so bad so no s:


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## patisserie16 (Sep 7, 2011)

Mentally ill? No, I guess not, but they do think I'm a little 'weird'. They never say it in my face, though, maybe it is because everyone is a bit weird too at times


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## Lonelyguy111 (Oct 14, 2013)

Oh yes.

Just because I have always been shy and introverted without too much to say, they think you are spaced out, stupid, schizophrenic, schizoid, depressed, a sociopath, and just plain weird. My parents used to harangue me too about being strange and quiet. People can be insufferable.


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## GGTFM (Oct 7, 2014)

Some of my family members would always get in my face when I got in trouble and ask if I was mentally retarded, but not in a genuine caring way, instead in more of an insulting/angry way.


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## Seegan (Mar 24, 2015)

A lot of people in my extended family don't enjoy being around me at all because I have problems. They don't know how I'll react if they say something to me.


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## Meroko (Nov 7, 2014)

i don't know what they think of me but some of the people i work with routinely ignore me and i get the feeling they think theres something mentally wrong with me. i guess they're right. theres nothing normal about being afraid of normal social interaction. :?


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## LoneWolf14 (Dec 18, 2014)

I'm sure some people do and 1 or my 2 friends is definitely starting to think something isn't right with me. The other day we were hanging out I had and anxiety and had the shakes. He goes on to ask me if I'm having a mini stroke...


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## milo001 (Nov 26, 2008)

The whole neighbourhood and maybe some relatives.


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## PaTrYcK (Jun 2, 2013)

Yeah a good amount of people in my high school thought I was Schizophrenic because I was so socially detached and didn't really make a whole lot of sense when I talked because of my anxiety.


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## Steinerz (Jul 15, 2013)

Eh they just think I'm quiet.


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## wrongguy (Jan 22, 2015)

No they just think I'm an A-hole


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## LolaViola (Jun 23, 2013)

I think so.


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## dadadoom (Nov 14, 2013)

Of course they do. And they are right.


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## TheLastShy (Sep 20, 2014)

I don't bother about looking crazy because I really am. I can't make myself look normal if I am insane.

I am always silent, apathetic and asocial, so they obviously don't think I am "normal".


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## distantrose (Mar 28, 2015)

People probably think I am weird or too quiet. I'm not so sure about crazy or ill though.


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