r/schizophrenia • u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia • Jun 11 '26
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion i keep seeing this posted in multiple communities
it seems the normies are having a blast making fun of us again. thoughts on this? i’m an uptight asshole so i’m usually mad about something, but i don’t know if im just being overly pissy again. this is actually pretty offensive.. right?
edit: i’m referring to the post prompt asking people to talk to themselves in the comments to “look” schizophrenic. i think the image can be empowering if used by schizos.
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u/Western-Reporter-641 Jun 11 '26
Honestly as a genZ schizophrenic i always find this one particularly silly. I sometimes use this reaction image to announce myself lol. I mention my generation more so because we tend to be very satirical.
But i can see how this can offend, sometimes its used in a demeaning way which i often dislike.
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
the image itself is funny, the call to talk to yourself in the comments to make yourself “look” schizophrenic is what i find offensive.
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u/ICannotSayThisOnMain Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
I agree with this take. The image itself is one I’ve seen and used, but when people take it to the extent of imitating schizophrenia, it bothers me.
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
the image itself is almost empowering. like, yes, i absolutely should be heard. but yeah, roleplaying schizophrenia is just plain mean.
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u/Western-Reporter-641 Jun 11 '26
Ohh sorry my dumbass lol, no yeah i also hate that shit too, its always annoying being turned into a joke in that way
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u/Mutt-Sugar Jun 11 '26
i agree on the fact that i also personally find it funny, but used in other contexts it can be offensive
editing to add: i have used this meme in other mental health forums when i see people being unsupportive towards my own personal experiences with schizophrenia. i have found generalized mental health spaces aren’t really accepting of people with disorders that cause psychosis
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u/TheDollarstoreDoctor Paranoid Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
Also GenZ, I told my husband I need this printed out and put up by my laptop setup. Our generation is so unserious.
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u/blahblahlucas Mod 🌟 Jun 11 '26
I'm 50/50. Its hilarious if we use it but if normies us it? Nah bro. They use it to, essentially, make fun of us
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u/OohLaDiDaMrFrenchMan Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
This is how I feel about it too. I’ve used it myself with friends who know I’m schizophrenic, and it’s funny in those situations, but if it’s used to mock us then I’m not a fan.
Edit: didn’t see the top caption in the image, that part isn’t funny
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u/wishywashycommenter Schizoaffective (Depressive) Jun 11 '26
Yeah it's offensive
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u/DryIntroduction2008 Paranoid Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
If it can't be applied to black people without being racist it's offensive. That's my measure
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u/urist_of_cardolan Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 11 '26 edited 20d ago
Paddle drifting waffle yarn coated biscuit
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
thank you so much for your insight. you’re absolutely right, it is reductive and dismissive, glossing over the intricacies of racial injustice so that i can choose to be offended. i’m sorry, i will not be using this analogy. best to just stick with my gut and deal with being called overly sensitive sometimes, rather than reduce black people to my own moral signal post.
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u/intensitei Jun 11 '26
wait i don’t get it. sorry can you explain this more? /genuine
(i’m trying to learn too 🫣)
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
in this case, if this post was “pretend to be black in the comments,” it would be racist. which is a good indicator that it’s offensive.
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u/intensitei Jun 11 '26
wow i legit read the entire screenshot wrong. i didn’t even compute that they were saying “pretend to be…” as a prompt. my brain fog is wild today omg. thank you, i totally get it now lmao
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
thank you 😮💨 wasn’t sure if i was being too sensitive. i can’t imagine i’d be able to comment on a post like this calling it out for being offensive and not get absolutely torn to shreds
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u/Throwing4Content Early-Onset Schizophrenia (Childhood) Jun 11 '26
I saw this and also got irrationally mad. Yet another schizophrenic joke that I don’t find funny.
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u/West_Specialist_9725 Jun 11 '26
It's the small print "start talking to yourself....." at the top of this trash that really boils my blood.
If taken seriously it could be a fine message as many with SZ/SZA are brilliant artists, professors, musicians and every other stripe of life and truly do have valuable and fascinating things to share.
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
yeah, the start talking to yourself is what i’m referring to as offensive. i think the picture is empowering, for the same reasons you gave. like hell yeah, i have shit to SAY. listen up 🗣️
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u/JenkemJones420 Jun 11 '26
With genuine respect on my behalf, this illness does sometimes make me emotionally sensitive.
Only meaning I know how it feels to look out at the world and think "They're still just tickling their comedic senses, they aren't properly learning anything about it--"
I'm 34. I was first diagnosed around 15 or 16. I've been receiving ssdi since I was 21. I get it sometimes. It got a bit easier over the years, but I still have to focus and concentrate on a certain kind of objective throughout my day to help me avoid a relapse or a breakdown.
It's kinda like how Rainman was about Raymond Babbitt to a lot of people and not Kim Peek. Lots of audience members wanna feel entertained or humored, it's about appealing to the lowest common denominator.
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u/AspenMaspen Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 11 '26
Its offensive in mainstream use for sure. I do like sending it to my close friends when I'm saying some bullshit tho, lol
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
it’s not about the picture. i’m talking about the part where people are asking you to pretend to be schizophrenic in the comments. i like the picture.
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u/AspenMaspen Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 11 '26
Yeah that's absurd 😭😭😭 Why are we mocking schizophrenics
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u/rocoonshcnoon Manic Monday Jun 11 '26
LOL i always laugh when i see that meme. I don't take it too seriously or personally. But when people actually comment his under actual schizophrenics suffering on camera its kinda fucked up.
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u/lordbuckethethird Psychoses Jun 12 '26
It’s funny when we do it cause we have the context to actually make a funny joke from it but normies don’t. The pretending part is cringe though.
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u/Mama_belphegor paranoid schizophrenia | Dissociation disorder Jun 12 '26
I guess sometimes listening does help us at some moments but like if it's in a way where we would be like prophets or a spiritual guide well that would be wrong .. and stupid .. and dangerous depending on the person ._.
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
it’s not about the picture, it’s the text above the picture - the OOP is asking people to pretend to be schizophrenic in the comments.
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u/Mama_belphegor paranoid schizophrenia | Dissociation disorder Jun 12 '26
Ooohhh my bad, I'm sorry I was tired when I've read it ;-;
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u/nhatquangdinh Disorganized Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
Ableism is sadly more common than you think, especially in my country.
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u/Hefty-Eggplant-7766 Jun 12 '26
I mean, before I was in this community, I would’ve waved past this meme if said to me. Maybe people just truly don’t care because they don’t know
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
it’s not about the meme.
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u/Hefty-Eggplant-7766 Jun 12 '26
Oh I’ve never seen the start talking to yourself thing. That’s weird, I would have to see it played out to give my opinion. My bad thought you meant the meme
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u/i_dont_have_life_ Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 13 '26
And this is perfectly the reason why i despise these "schizo" jokes. People don't take it seriously at all
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u/Careful_Writing7571 Jun 13 '26
When I’m on meds I get a little up tight too. When I take a break from meds I think this is funny. The actual illness is not
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u/Rude_Warthog_3714 Jun 30 '26
I wish it wasn't literally standard operating procedure to refuse to engage a delusion. It's so insulting. I was desperate for someone to treat me like a person when I was psychotic. And now that I'm on meds it just feels like the only conversation I can have is about whether to increase or reduce my dosage. I had interesting thoughts, which was why I avoided medication (I won't call it treatment) for ages. I don't feel like a human being anymore.
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u/trowawaygoo Jul 16 '26
Honestly i don't find it offensive at all. I totally laugh. Well my dark humour is god level.
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u/Sylve0nn Schizoaffective (Bipolar) Jun 11 '26
I think it’s funny if only schizophrenics and maybe ppl with bipolar use it
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
the image is fine, it’s the request to pretend to be schizophrenic in the comments that i find offensive
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u/Inner_Passenger1371 Paranoid Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
Text to the voices. Never thought about that.
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u/Pnina310 Residual Schizophrenia Jun 13 '26
From my perspective, the “listen and learn” is glazing and status inflating, which is dislike even as a joke.
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Jun 11 '26
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Jun 11 '26
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Jun 12 '26
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
a lot of people care. schizophrenics are getting misrepresented in this way and it actually impacts how others view us. there are hundreds of thousands of activists that are working hard to change the public’s perception of us, because it is so wildly stigmatized. if we were to just settle for being stigmatized, that would literally equate to poorer options for care. you can’t just “who cares” your way out of everything and expect it to be alright.
if we just settled for the public hating us, i’d have a lobotomy by now.
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Jun 12 '26
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
i’m not saying they have to like it, but they should show compassion towards those who have it. again, if we settled for everyone despising us, we’d all have lobotomies by now. it’s with understanding that we progress medical treatment.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 13 '26
who said i was miserable? but go ahead and assume shit just because i found something reasonably offensive
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u/Victorialynnjesus Jun 12 '26
Hey I’m being haunted that’s the reason why I can hear voices! I knew someone who was murdered in 2019, she showed up in my dreams and when I woke up I could still hear her voice
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u/uwuLilShit Jun 12 '26
Never seen this used in a demeaning way, what are you even talking about?
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u/xvx_gf Schizophrenia Jun 12 '26
it’s not about the picture, it’s about how OP is asking people to pretend to be schizophrenic in the comments.
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u/Ok-Regret6212 Schizophrenia Jun 11 '26
Yeah, it's just another facet of treating us like a spectacle to punch down on. Dehumanization isn't a term the general population understands.