What is normal?

@em19812001

That is a great question! I feel like we all struggle with things and there is no one description of what "normal" looks like or acts like. A friend once said "we are all imperfectly perfect" and I really liked that idea!

I say, be yourself and find people who accept and love you just the way you are! You are AMAZING!

@em19812001 Hi Liz!

Yes, there is such a thing as being or acting normal, in relation to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this situation, normal means not having the beliefs and behaviours of schizophrenia.

For example, some people are diagnosed with schizophrenia because they often have delusions. In that case, normal means not having delusions very often. Of course, it can be said that everyone has very brief delusions from time to time. This is normal. But having delusions "for a significant portion of time during a 1 -month period" is not normal, it's a symptom of schizophrenia. (I'm quoting the official diagnostic manual in the US, known as DSM-5.)

I have no idea which symptoms of schizophrenia caused you to be diagnosed, so I have no idea what makes people tell you that you are different and not normal. People who say that kind of thing to you without being able to explain what they mean are not being fair to you, in my opinion.

Perhaps you can discuss this issue with the professional who diagnosed you. It might be helpful to ask which symptoms are making you seem different to other people, and what you can do to reduce those symptoms.

Charlie