Skip to main content

Independent Living For People Living With Schizophrenia

What is independent living? Independent living is a home for people that need a little extra help caring for themselves. It is a steping stone for people to mature into their own independent living arrangement. The home has a house manager that lives there and provides supervised distribution of medication and prepared meals. There is usually a curfew to make sure that people are safe, and visiting hours. It is great for a lot of people including those with a mental illness, people who are handicap, and the elderly. I would recommend independent living for those who need help taking their medication, and as a temporary living arrangement until that person is stable and responsible to take their own medication.

Here are some reasons why independent living should be a viable option compared to living at home with a parent or sibling:

  • Feeling more independent or self-reliant
  • Less stress on family
  • Less disagreements with parents and siblings
  • More freedom to do what you want to do


I have lived in an independent living establishment. I lived there for six months. I liked it for a little while but I wanted more freedom. I liked the prepared meals because I do not cook. I did not like having a curfew and I wanted my friends to be able to stay longer than the usual visiting hours which were something like 2-7pm. I also didn't like sharing a room with two other girls, I wanted my my own room and bathroom. Lastly, I did not like having a suicidal roommate, fortunately the house manager called the police so that my roommate was forced to go to the hospital.

Labels:

Comments

kw said…
You really have your head screwed on straight! It sounds like you have great bounderies, which something I still struggle with.

I come here in a guily kind of way. I have a post that needs to be spread ASAP, so I'm going to put the link here. It may save an innocent man's life.

http://danomacnamarrah.blogspot.com/2008/09/stop-killing-of-troy-davis.html

Okay, thanks. I'll catch up w/you later, as I'm on a mission. Troy Davis is scheduled to die on the 23rd.
September 12, 2008 at 11:56 PM
John said…
Hey Ashley, I just read your entire blog and I really liked it. I had my second episode last summer which put me in the hospital for two weeks. I am still adjusting to life with bipolar disorder and I take Zyprexa right now, but I don't like the side effects. Anyway, great blog!
September 14, 2008 at 4:02 AM
Smizzle said…
Hi Ashley,

Your posts are great. I have a brother with SZ. As you are from CA, where can I find a listing for Independent Living houses?

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
April 6, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Rita said…
Rita, 7yrs. my son as been a revolving door. Will not stay on his meds. To this day he denies he has schizophenia. He has even been court ordered. Which was the longest he was on his meds. and did great! His Dr. says he is very treatable. But has convinced his Dr. hes fine again. so they dropped court order. He has now gotten aressted again for being violant. Now another EDO. He has had a very good support family. Till now. All thats left is me, his Mother. Please I Pray, Direct me to a rehab or independent living facility. He is very strong willed 29 yr old. Very intellegent & needs help to accept his issues & learn he can still live a productive life with this.
March 7, 2011 at 8:11 PM
Anonymous said…
I was wondering if there's a way to no roommates.
November 19, 2013 at 12:30 AM
Unknown said…
Hi you people are really doing an awesome. I was looking for assisted living Denver CO, and found your post. Very Impressive.
July 18, 2017 at 1:37 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lack of Trust: A Byproduct of My Mental Illness

In this entry, I'll share my experiences with Schizophrenia in regards to feeling lack of trust in others, paranoia, and isolation.... I remember my many episodes with Schizophrenia where I felt uneasy because of lack of trust in others. In the past, isolation was a giant bullying me around. Sometimes my mind would take me to a place of fear, hurt, and an unsettling spirit, which started with what seemed like a strange look, or a different feeling around an individual, when in reality it was another symptom of my undiagnosed illness- paranoia. My paranoia was rampant and dictated my life prior to experiencing a crisis, which led me to jail and into forced treatment and to receive an official diagnosis of Schizophrenia in 2007. In other words, my illness created enemies in my mind. For instance, I once believed my favorite kin was against me and I felt like she wanted me to fail, and I eventually thought she was conspiring to harm me. However, she never said anything to imply these ...
14 comments
Read more

Fear to Openness about Medication

I am concerned that I may be slipping into depression that may get worse if untreated. Prior to the birth of my child I never had a bout with depression, but as my body changed so did my hormones and my susceptibility to depression. A few months ago I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and at the time I knew I needed extra support from my my treatment team. I knew I needed to focus on my mental health because my anxiety level was up and down, it was difficult to concentrate, and I felt extremely overwhelmed and afraid my mental illness would rear its ugly head and try to destroy my recovery accomplishments. I spoke my therapist who contacted my doctor and let them know I was coming in the next morning as a walk-in, which I did and we tweaked my medication. Now, its hard to focus and to carry out minor assignments, sometimes I feel anxious for no reason, I am extremely tired and sleep more than usual, and I feel like I am on a downward spiral. Yet, I have reason to be. I have ...
12 comments
Read more

From the Terrors of Psychosis to Hope and a Better Life

For me, experiencing psychosis is an experience I will never forget. In short, psychosis is when an individual cannot distinguish reality. I endured a psychotic experience at the age of 20, almost five years ago, and still remember the terrors of the illness- officially diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia in 2007. The manifestation of the illness dominated my livelihood whenever I was extremely suspicious, confused, forgetful, irritable, distant, irrational, and hearing criticizing voices when nobody was around. In my mind, everyone was envious of me because I had godly talents. I thought I could read people's minds and understand them, and sometimes they could read my mind as well. I rationalized these strange beliefs by my faith in God and the miracles of the Bible. I believed I was on a mission for God and eventually thought I was Jesus Christ being persecuted again when I was arrested for a crime I committed while not in the right state of mind. The bizarre thoughts increased....
9 comments
Read more