Imagine feeling like you are losing your grip on reality, and getting caught up in hallucinations that affect how you think, behave, and even feel; that’s schizophrenia. People who are dealing with this condition struggle with knowing what's real and often have to work hard to discern the truth.
That’s why, when a schizophrenic man’s friends played an innocent prank on him, it spiralled out of control, with them trying to convince him he was “going crazy.” He later got to know what they were doing and cut all ties with them.
Some folks think that people dealing with mental health issues owe it to them to be open about their medical history, but that just isn’t so
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The poster shared that he has been dealing with schizophrenia since he was 22 and that he was fairly private about his diagnosis
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
His friends didn’t know about his condition and thought it would be funny to make him think he was losing his mind by pulling a group prank on him
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The prank went on for three weeks, and it made the poster feel like he was experiencing a massive delusion due to his medication potentially not working
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Due to the poster’s concerns, he checked himself into the hospital, and when he opened up to one of his friends about it, they apologized and revealed the prank
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In an update post, the man shared that he refused to accept the apologies from his friends and decided to cut contact with them, as there were other red flags too
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster started spending time on hobbies and interests that gave him joy, began dating a woman, and even got a new job
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The man was glad that he had managed to improve his life and let go of people who only seemed to be taking advantage of him
The poster had been dealing with schizophrenia for a long time and knew how to deal with it with the help of a close-knit community and coping strategies. Due to that, apart from the mental health community he was a part of, he didn’t feel the need to share his diagnosis with any of the people in his social circle.
Although it might seem odd that the man didn’t reveal his condition to any of his friends, schizophrenia experts actually say that this information should be shared with caution. The reason for this is that people might react negatively to the news and may act out; therefore, it’s best to only open up to folks that you trust.
That’s probably why the man didn’t feel like sharing the information with his group of buddies, and the prank that they pulled certainly shows why he didn’t fully trust them. All of the individuals were in on the plan and didn’t see the problem with gaslighting the OP for three full weeks, even though he seemed to be getting anxious.
This kind of pranking behavior has become common in the last few years, with some folks pulling truly manipulative and scary stunts. According to a UC Irvine student, pranks are only successful when they don’t cause physical or emotional harm to another person, and end with the ‘victim’ also partaking in the fun.
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This prank got too out of hand, because it made the OP feel like he was losing touch with reality and spiralling into a delusion. All of this must have been so tough for him to deal with, which is why he decided to check himself into the hospital, so that he could keep himself safe from any possible harm.
Eventually, when he got out, he decided to confide in one of his friends about his experience, and that’s when they must have realized that they had gone too far and told him the truth. The problem was that it was just a little too late, and even though the entire group tried to apologize, the poster realized that he didn’t want to continue the friendship.
Ending things with a friend is a tough call to make, but it’s also an essential thing to do if the relationship with them has become toxic. The only way to know this, says Therapist Kara, is by observing if there is mutual love, care, and empathy between you and the other person – if it’s one-sided or lacks respect, then it might make sense to end it.
It certainly was a good decision in this case, as the man noticed several other red flags in his friendship that had been bogging him down. That’s why, once he moved on from them, it seemed like he was able to get his life in order and improve in several areas in a healthy and happy manner.
It’s clear from the OP’s experience that he didn’t like the prank at all, but do you think he overreacted to the situation? Let us know your honest thoughts in the comments below.
People were shocked by how long the prank on the man went on and were glad that he was able to move on from it and improve his life
