I would never cry out without a strip of duct tape safely in place.

In long-belated response to a question half-jokingly asked by a friend, "So... how do I deal with a schizo?" Because sometimes I want to say this, but never would, not out loud, not to anyone, but for whatever reason I am blessed or cursed with being able to spill my emotions like blood all over a page in ways I never could to a person. From personal experience, because never could I speak for someone else.

The same way you deal with normal people, in all things except that you remember that they are not normal. Remember that they are acutely aware of how fucked-up they are, moreso than you can possibly imagine, and that chances are they hate themselves for it. Understand that every time they demonstrate some habit, some quirk, some slightly dangerous tendency, and it is pointed out, they kick themselves inside because they are still trying to change themselves to someone normal, someone healthy, someone they deem worthy of love. Know that sometimes they laugh when they want to scream, when things hurt the most, because it's easier. Know that if they knew that you knew that, they would suppress it whenever possible, because they don't want you to worry. They don't believe themselves worth worrying over, and nothing you tell them will change that, at least not permanently-- your state of mind is far more important than theirs. Sometimes they betray themselves by telling you something shocking about the state of their head, and are unsure whether they wish you would be upset or take it in stride. Know that sometimes they want nothing more than to pour their heart out, as vulnerable as can possibly be, but they swallow it for fear of looking weak, for fear of driving you away, for any number of reasons, they hide their vulnerability and make sure they're laughing if you ask what's wrong. Know that they're only half joking when they talk about seeing dragons, that they're not joking when they talk about voices in their mind, and remember that those things aren't as funny or fun as they're made out to be by pop culture.



Treat them like normal, but remember that they're acutely aware of how different they are, and they don't know whether it's worse to have the immense pain in them completely unacknowledged, or to have it pointed out at every turn.