Skip to main content

My Experience With Discrimination

A few months ago I was looking for a room to rent. While talking to the owner about rent money, she asked me where my income came from, and I told her that I get social security. She went on to ask me what my disability was, so I told her that I have schizophrenia. Then she suggested that I may have a difficult time living there because of stress, and my potential roommate talks a lot, and I may not be able to concentrate on my studies for school.

What does she know about schizophrenia to make such a rationalization?! Maybe if she knew I was on medication and did not have any symptoms she would rent the room to me. Fortunately her room wasn't my top choice.

Therefore I did not tell future owners that I had schizophrenia, because I did not know how much they knew about the illness. Instead, I simply told them that I was a student and that my parents would pay my rent.

What do you think about this situation? If you were renting a room out, would you allow a person with schizophrenia to have the room, why or why not?

In brief, to learn more about the symptoms of schizophrenia read the post titled "Types of Symptoms" (below).
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I posted on your article below, but thought I address the discrimination situation.

You asked if I would rent a room to someone with schizophrenia. It all depends of the person and how well he/she is handling their illness.

This may sound harsh to your ears, but please bear with me. As I stated in my other post, I have some experience with it and what I chose to share was positive.

On the down side, I was physically attacked by someone with the illness, he refused to admit he had an issue, refused meds and his perception of reality was always (and specifically at attack time) very distorted.

A friend of mine has had her son hospitalized since childhood and he is an adult now.

As you well know, there are degrees of the disease and how they are handled is of major importance.

I would like to address the following: No one has a right to your medical records and asking what illness you had was none of her business. I consider that a breach of privacy.

Now, if there are minor children in the house, this is a consideration as well.

If I had a two story house and someone who required assistance because mobility was an issue (walker, wheelchair, etc) I would not be comfortable renting to that person for fear of finding him/her dead at the end of the stairs.

Financially, it could be a disaster if someone got injured because the house was not accessible enough or costly to make renovations.

I am sorry that you felt discriminated and I am sure that her experience with the illness is very different from yours. If you have not have found the ideal place for you, I hope you do soon.

It truly sounds like you got it all together.

PEACE
September 12, 2008 at 1:36 AM
La Pixie said…
just like with everyone else, I would have to judge the person by what I was shown. I would say... the only out-and-out NO would go to a sex offender. anyone else is case-by-case basis.
September 18, 2008 at 7:01 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Religious Preoccupation

After a talk, a woman asked me if my faith contributed to my recovery because she noticed that I mentioned it throughout my speech. In addition to that, she told me that she observed people with faith as having a better outcome in their mental health recovery. First, I came from a family with Christian values. My faith in God started to get intense during the latter years of high school, which in my opinion, is when I started having symptoms. In my experience religion plays a major role in my mental health- its delusions, its coping skills, and in my recovery. In medical terms they call my religious rituals and delusions "religious preoccupation." Before I was diagnosed I was highly religious. In fact, I wanted to be an evangelist and to go to a Christian college. I would read my Bible for several hours a day throughout the day, listen to hymns, and meditate. Sometimes I would ignore people if they wanted my attention while I was meditating I was in such deep thought. Also, I...
15 comments
Read more

What Is Remission?

Remission is the absence of symptoms for at least six months with the support of medication. In other words, a doctor who has never seen you before may not diagnose you as a person with schizophrenia anymore. Remission is also high functioning in several aspects of life, living independently, goinig to school or to work, and socializing with other people. However, this does not mean the patient is cured or the illness has went away, the illness is still present, however, under control. Remission is achieved with the assistance of medication. "Published studies suggest that 10% to 20% of people with schizophrenia have remission of their illness as they get older, 20% get worse, but in a large majority (60% to 70%), the course of illness remains relatively unchanged." To reach remission it is recommended that you aim for a stress-free environment. Therefore, do things to relieve stress such as journaling, exercising, talking to friends, listening to or creating music, making a...
9 comments
Read more

The Path that God Chose for Me

I am not upset that I have schizophrenia, this is the life God chose for me. The other day I was telling my mother I am glad I took a break from school, but I wish I had taken it sooner so that I could have recognized my illness sooner. She reminded me that everything happens for a reason, and that had I took a break sooner I would not have been able to know my full potential in college and in life. I went to college and got really involved in it through sports, internships, and mentoring peers. I was involved in so many things, school, church, home, friends, family, you name it! She was right, I am glad I took the path I took. I did not always have schizophrenia, but now that I have it I will work hard to overcome it. I try not to use the word schizophrenic because that identifies the person by their illness and that isn't fair. I am Ashley and I have schizophrenia. I will not let it limit my potential or define who I am. I can and will overcome these symptoms with medication, the...
23 comments
Read more