Mental Health Stigma on taking prescription drugs for mental condition

[NopainNogain]

I've been taking invega for a long time now to help with paranoid thoughts. I'm also working, but find it severely difficult to hide in the shadows my condition. I've always tried to schedule my appointments on days with other doctors (dentist) or holidays. It was only a matter of time when I had some withdrawals from trying to quit cold turkey, and had to take off a couple days to get back right with a doctors excuse. Their suspicions of me have only gotten stronger, and their attitude toward me grow colder. They are extremely condemning of me with their suspicions, and constantly make threats of being fired or insults about me to each other and me directly. It seems as if my reputation is rotted away based on a condition that was diagnosed. I do a good job otherwise, as I feel I am one of the hardest workers there. Even so, they make it hard on me and I feel like they want to get rid of me, but give me responsibility to handle major duties as I have shown again and again that I have quality performance. Has anybody been in this situation or felt like the public hates you just because of your condition? If so, what have you done to help yourself about it? Any advice or insight, I would be grateful.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

I've been taking invega for a long time now to help with paranoid thoughts. I'm also working, but find it severely difficult to hide in the shadows my condition. I've always tried to schedule my appointments on days with other doctors (dentist) or holidays. It was only a matter of time when I had some withdrawals from trying to quit cold turkey, and had to take off a couple days to get back right with a doctors excuse. Their suspicions of me have only gotten stronger, and their attitude toward me grow colder. They are extremely condemning of me with their suspicions, and constantly make threats of being fired or insults about me to each other and me directly. It seems as if my reputation is rotted away based on a condition that was diagnosed. I do a good job otherwise, as I feel I am one of the hardest workers there. Even so, they make it hard on me and I feel like they want to get rid of me, but give me responsibility to handle major duties as I have shown again and again that I have quality performance. Has anybody been in this situation or felt like the public hates you just because of your condition? If so, what have you done to help yourself about it? Any advice or insight, I would be grateful.

First off, I know exactly what it is like to have these kinds of thoughts. I've been on anti-psychotics for seven years and was off and on them for a few years prior to that. I want to say that part of learning to be self-aware is knowing when thoughts are real and when thoughts may be iffy. I found that when I'm on meds, my thoughts tend to be more rational. When I do have paranoid or irrational thoughts I have to ask myself, Is this real?

Now how does all this relate to you? I don't know you or your diagnosis but I do know that Invega is a powerful antipsychotic. I was on Risperdal for a long time, which is similar to Invega. Now you said they are condemning you with their suspicions. How do you know their suspicions? That statement seems a little paranoid. Believe me, at my current job the only person in the entire organization who knows I have a documented disability is the HR person. And as far as I know, HR people are required to keep this type of info confidential from other employees. The only reason my HR person knows is that I had to disclose that I had Medicare when I was enrolling in my company's health insurance plan.

Does your HR person know that you have a disability? If they do, I would tell them your thoughts on the harassment you are experiencing on the job. If HR does not know you have a disability, I would consider telling them because if your suspicions are true and they are building a case to fire you, then the disability card may be your only chance at keeping your job.

IOW if you disclose your disability to HR then they are supposed to be able to protect you from discrimination in the workplace. As a disabled person, you have the legal right NOT to be discriminated against in the workplace. And if you are fired, demoted, or harassed to the point of losing your grip on reality.....then you can hire a lawyer and sue them for at least your job back. If not millions of dollars. BTW Jerry Atrick gets 10% of the loot. You're welcome

 

[NopainNogain]

First off, thanks for the reply. I really dig the advice. Human resources would be a good place to go to if something drastic does happen. Right now I think I'll just stick it out, and hopefully with time, things will look a little brighter. For one thing, my human resources lady is a major hater. She is the exact opposite of what her job title implies. If you try to ask her about something she'll argue with you instead of trying to help. I really don't see how she's still working there... Anyway, she's a last ditch effort.

Secondly, I don't really want to describe their comments b/c then someone might see this and realize who I am. Maybe that sounds a little paranoid...

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

The problem is connotation. People view mental illness as a break that has a fix.

Its a lot similar to the dichotomy that is more common now with aspie and NT.

Everyone is different.

What our neurotransmitters do is what makes us special.

And individuality is what makes the world diverse and interesting.

 

[herbavore]

^Two great responses. OP, I recommend Ely Saks if you are not already familiar with her.
The stigma surrounding mental illness--particularly diagnoses of schizophrenia and bipolar or schizo-affective disorder is intense. All any of us can do, as people living with these conditions or family members and friends of those that do , is to continue to demand full and open dialogue, research and education about what these illnesses do and do not mean. There is so much variation in the human brain, layered with the variations personality and then when you throw setting into the mix (family, region, culture etc) you have a diversity that cannot be contained in diagnoses alone. And yet, particularly in america, we continue to stereotype and stigmatize with a vengeance.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to embrace and study the concepts of mindfulness as they relate to my thoughts. Understanding that my emotions (extreme fear and anxiety) were not what I needed to control but the thoughts that I attached to them has been a life changer for me. Becoming an observer inside as opposed to simply a reactor has been freeing in a way I never could have imagined while trapped in that cycle of fear/reaction/more fear/deeper reaction etc.