I came across a woman who made apoint of making jokes about schizophrenia, with ignorant judgement on actual symptoms and instead of educating herself a little before deciding what she could laugh at in regard to the illness she spewed a load of bulls**t and totally got it all so very wrong indeed. :

Sharon, more schizophrenic than usual

*Disclaimer: No offense intended to people who suffer from true, clinically diagnosed schizophrenia.

I had to state that right off the bat, just in case. Or maybe the above sentence was required by the remaining portion of my multiple personalities that is still rational and thinking clearly. Not sure. As authors we universally joke (?) that we must be insane. After all, we do hear voices in our heads, carry on conversations with them more frequently than we care to admit, and far too often these “characters” take over and make us write something we never intended. Hmm…. I’m a nurse and not a psychologist but that sounds suspiciously like the definition of mental illness, if I recall my psych classes correctly.

Be that as it may, we all suffer from it so ergo, it must be normal. Yep, that is what we all agree so allow us to live with our delusions, okay? So what do I mean when I confess that I am “more schizophrenic than usual”? Well, here’s another not-so-secret secret: authors are busy people. Shocker, I know. Hope you were all sitting down before that stunning revelation. Personally I thrive on being busy and juggling a bunch of stuff at the same time. That is why I love working in an ICU setting. Give me five traumas at the same time? No problemo. Give me a quiet night with only one or two semi-important tasks to do? I’ll forget both of them until 10 minutes before my shift is over. This is why it is a Serious Confession for me to say I am feeling slightly…. okay, moderately…. all right, a lot overwhelmed these days! Now before any of my well-meaning “friends” send over the fellas with the padded van, strait-jackets, and tranquilizers, let me assure you I have it under control. Really, I do! I have some 20 spreadsheets on my computer and detailed calendars on my desk to prove it!

This was a message i sent in reply to what she wrote:

Message: I found one of your Posts : Posted in: AuAu Real Life, Austen Authors, JASNA, Reviews, Writing & Publishing Articles by Sharon Lathan Published: September 23, 2011 STIGMA of Mental Health is everywhere, esp towards those diagnosed with Schizophrenia., I`m 46 and am diagnosed Paranoid Schizophrenic. I was given this diagnosis when i was 23yrs old. You make a short statement saying you, in no way mean to upset or offend anyone actually suffering with the illness.. fair enough BUT IF your going to JOKE about schizophrenia at least try not show just how IGNORANT and PREJUDICED you are by referring to its SYMPTOMS SO VERY WRONG! MOST of what you wrote such as having multiple personalities and split mind, and use a picture which quotes:I MAY BE SCHIZOPHRENIC BUT AT LEAST I HAVE EACH OTHER! Are you serious when you say that you are an actual general nurse that works in A&E Trauma Unit???.. If so its UNBELIEVABLE even more so that a health professional in the health system is so uneducated about the FACTS AND TRUTH of what symptoms schizophrenics experience.. WE DO NOT have `Split Personality`~ That is a diagnosis in itself. WE DO NOT have `Multiple Personalities`~ That is another diagnosis in its self. IF your going to try be funny, try maybe to educate yourself on what it is your going to take the piss out of,,and make jokes about.. after all if you say your a writer, surely if your going to post your opinions and what you find funny about a certain subject, as all writer do,,, do your homework on the subject first and then make your jokes.. Having shown your post to my local charity which works along with the media to ensure that mental health is portrayed correctly, if it is going to be used as a story line in a series or soap opera, the charity guides the writers and producers of the show in how certain mental illnesses manifest themselves in a person and ensure that there is no ignorant comments or suggestions included..anyway having read your paragraph about how ur possibly schizo wat with the symptoms you were having.. it made us all sigh in frustration..as here, we thought someone with moderate intelligence would be dignified and educated in mental health but in fact showed total opposite signs that YOUR JUDGEMENTS on trying to joke about schizophrenia was mis-guiding to others in writing what you did as it influences other people to think your sysmptoms are factual of typical schizophrenic symptoms.. it oozed ignorance and lack of selof judgement to confuse others even more in regards to maybe try understand the illness itself You let people like myself down you let yourself down too, But we are not angry, just sad about the way people presume so much and prefer to find their OWN conclusions to their judgments about other peoples lives.. Schizophrenic symptoms are paranoia, and auditory hallucinations which means we hear people talking in our head to us, these voices often are set in stone as for identity.. i have had a handful that have been with me ever since i became ill, we also can have visual, hallucinations, and see shapes and things around us distort, in different ways,, we can also experience smells and taste thing which are no where around in reality.. thats it.. we dont have a jekyll and hyde personality, or multiple personalities.. JUST the symptoms i explained.. I hope in the future if you are going to take it upon yourself to analyse and dissect subjects you find your able to make jokes about ..maybe try educate yourself first as (A): You dont come across as ignorant and prejudice and (B): you dont make a total fool of yourself by thinking your making comments and getting a joke out of those comment when what your saying is all typical behavior of people in society attatching STIGMA to Mental Health in this instance and SCHIZOPHRENIA in particular..