Schizophrenia and Social Media

Most of us know that social media can harm our mental health if we spend too much time scrolling. One of the things it is natural to do but which is damaging to our self-esteem and well-being is to compare ourselves to others.

Comparing ourselves can happen no matter what kind of social media accounts we follow, like weight loss, beauty, travel, or mental health influencers.

Schizophrenia on social media

If we follow someone with schizophrenia and their journey doesn't look like ours – maybe they are capable of working a full-time job, or they are in a long-term relationship – and we are unable to manage those things, we need to give ourselves grace, because we are not alone. I can't do many of the things I see others who have schizophrenia doing, and this is true for many of my friends as well.

I know many people with schizophrenia, and none of our lives or symptoms look the same. The things each of us struggles with are different.

Our symptoms and experiences are all different

I have one friend who takes his medications every day but still hears voices almost all the time. I have another friend who struggles with social skills and understanding social settings (like interpreting the clues others give to help us know if they are uncomfortable, irritated, or happy). I don't struggle with either of these symptoms daily.

On good days, my most common hallucinations are olfactory (smelling things that aren’t there) and some level of paranoia (mostly believing my food is poisonous or spoiled).

Comorbid conditions and other diagnoses

Like many people with schizophrenia, that is not the only diagnosis I have. I also have a diagnosis of GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) that causes me some of my most disruptive symptoms. I've had to leave jobs in the middle of my shift because of anxiety attacks. Obviously, I didn't keep those jobs very long.

Comparing ourselves to someone who has minimal symptoms or is capable of doing things we can only dream of can make learning how to live with the symptoms we have more complicated. Feeling bad about ourselves or like we are not good enough in some way can add more stress and negativity to our mindset.

We don't see the worst on social media

Of course, there will always be someone who is more productive or has more resources than us. I see that all the time on social media.

On my worst days, I'm lucky to get by, and by that, I mean I'm incapable of doing the things that I most enjoy, which are my jobs like writing, teaching, and public speaking. It's not always possible for me to do anything more than sit on the couch.

Schizophrenia is complicated

I'm sure some people would think that is me being lazy, but it isn't that at all. Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness, and most people who have it are unimaginably strong. I say that from watching my friends live with some of the most challenging aspects of the disease and still keep trying, going, and doing the best they can. I put myself in that category as well.

I often feel badly in my advocacy work because I can only talk about what it is like to live daily like me. I am a middle-aged woman who has worked many jobs and completed many educational programs.

Our levels of support are different, too

I have also been happily married for 25 years. Because my husband is my caretaker and my primary support, I don't know what it is like to struggle with symptoms on my own, not have healthcare, live unsheltered, have no one to provide transportation, etc. I don't have many of the barriers that so many people with schizophrenia have.

We shouldn't compare our schizophrenia

I don't want to compare my struggles to your struggles, and I don't want anyone to compare their struggles to mine. Living with a mental illness is different for everyone, and each of us deserves to live our own story without comparing it or lessening its importance by putting it up against the story of someone else.

Let's walk in the shoes we have, not the shoes someone else has, because it is likely they aren’t our size and will cause blisters.