<p>The first semester of my freshman year I developed schizophrenia. This affected my grades and my behavior. During those few months I became fond of another student. I began stalking this person which was driven by the voices in my head. I got a medical withdrawal for my classes and was told to take a semester off to resolve my problems. I've been seeing a psychologist, getting counseling, and receiving medication. I will be returning to university this fall and I am concerned because I don't want this person to be afraid of me. I am fine now and on medication. However, he does not know that my behavior was driven by a psychological disorder. I don't want to run into this person on campus because I know he is afraid of me. What should I do? Should I just avoid seeing him on campus? Should I tell him what really happened?</p>
<p>Not sure if trolling…</p>
<p>But just in case you’re not,</p>
<p>How big is your campus? How many people? If he’s scared of you don’t try to repeatedly come up to explain the situation or he’ll get more freaked out. Just forget him and move on. If you ever do come across him, just don’t stare at him and go on with your life.</p>
<p>However, if someone asks about it, such as one of his friends, just calmly and briefly tell them that you have schizophrenia but you’re fine now since you’re on meds. And that you didn’t mean to scare him. If he’s not an ass, he’ll forgive you.</p>
<p>explore this situation and your feeling with your spychologist. Develop ways to manage seeing this person in pubic with your psychologist.</p>
<p>not trolling. My school is pretty big, I go to UCF and there are about 55,000 students there. But I am bound to run into him since we have the same major.</p>
<p>I was thinking of just ignoring him if I see him on campus but I feel the need to let him know that I’m not this crazy person and have him understand why I was acting the way I was.</p>
<p>Maybe consider writing a note explaining what happened and apologizing? </p>
<p>You’re probably going to run into him sooner or later since you have the same major.</p>
<p>I hope you are seeing a mental health person you can ask.</p>
<p>You should definitely ask your mental health person. As someone who has been on the receiving end of one of these, though, I see you as having two options: either write a note, or avoid him. Depending on the exact circumstances under which you left, as should be discussed with a mental health professional, the note could say that you were suffering from mental health issues (feel free to be vague about your exact medical issues if you want), state that you are in treatment, you are very sorry, and that it will not happen again. After that, cordial avoidance of each other is most likely the best option. Trying to do this via conversation would likely have freaked me, at least, out, hence my not recommending that at all. Cordial avoidance from the outset could also be fine; your first few encounters or classes together will make him more nervous, but he’ll eventually get the picture without the upset a note has the potential to cause.</p>
<p>Good for you for getting treatment, though! I hope it continues to work out; what you’re dealing with is very hard. Continued good luck.</p>
<p>thank you for all the advice. I’ll talk to my counselor.</p>
<p>If there are counselors at your school, you might also seek out their advice. They may even be able to help you by giving your letter to the student, or inviting the student to meet with them so they could explain the situation for you. Involving the school somehow might be helpful so that should the student sort of panic, they won’t take the stance that you are again “stalking” the student. They will know your intentions and be able to advise you and be an advocate for you and the other student as well.</p>
<p>I agree with several of the posters above. Even though you mean well, do NOT attempt to contact this student directly. Ever. See if there’s a way that your school can do it for you (mental health department, dean’s office, etc.) And if they can’t, just leave things alone.</p>
<p>I definitely won’t contact him on my own. that is out of the question. But if I can get the school to let me write a letter of apology or for them to contact him, I think I’ll do that. He is already afraid of me as it is. And I don’t want anymore trouble, I just want my life back.</p>