This week I started volunteering for a non-profit organization that focuses on HIV/AIDS awareness. I am interested in HIV/AIDS awareness because I believe it is a serious issue in America that needs more attention. I will be working with this organization for the summer.
The other day I attended a town hall meeting that discussed safety and community involvement to decrease the selling of drugs in the business area. After the meeting the executive director and I handed out business cards and networked with participants.
The executive director, who I will be closely working with this summer is going to educate me on how a non-profit organization operates, like an internship, and I will contribute to marketing needs and speaking engagements. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I got to thinking that I could start a non-profit organization or clubhouse that focuses on schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.
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When I first started this blog, I thought it was going to be a diary-like blog, however, it has turned somewhat informative and therapeutic to discuss schizophrenia. I have been blogging for eight months now, I think I am ready to take it to the next level, and since this whole blog is personal I want to share with you something that is not too often touched on in mental illness... dating.
Recently, I started dating a man whom I am very interested in- he has a good job, great dating etiquette, and is handsome and single. I hope to keep him as friend for long time, so I don't want to run him away with the knowledge of my mental illness, so I did not tell him about it. We have been dating for about month now, how long should I wait before I tell him that I have schizophrenia? Or should I even tell him at all? Not that there is an urgency to share this information, however, I think it is important to be honest with friends.
I think it is kind of important to share the fact that I have a mental illness to friends, because they can be very beneficial by vocalizing symptoms, getting more information about the illness, and reminding one to take their medication.
Questions for You
If you have a mental illness, how long was it before you shared your diagnosis with your partner? If you are a friend, caregiver, family member, or someone interested in mental illness, would you date someone with a mental illness- why or why not?
If you want to learn more about schizophrenia I encourage you to check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness or Schizophrenia Society of Novia Scotia (Canada). Thank you for reading this blog and commenting!
The other day I attended a town hall meeting that discussed safety and community involvement to decrease the selling of drugs in the business area. After the meeting the executive director and I handed out business cards and networked with participants.
The executive director, who I will be closely working with this summer is going to educate me on how a non-profit organization operates, like an internship, and I will contribute to marketing needs and speaking engagements. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I got to thinking that I could start a non-profit organization or clubhouse that focuses on schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.
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When I first started this blog, I thought it was going to be a diary-like blog, however, it has turned somewhat informative and therapeutic to discuss schizophrenia. I have been blogging for eight months now, I think I am ready to take it to the next level, and since this whole blog is personal I want to share with you something that is not too often touched on in mental illness... dating.
Recently, I started dating a man whom I am very interested in- he has a good job, great dating etiquette, and is handsome and single. I hope to keep him as friend for long time, so I don't want to run him away with the knowledge of my mental illness, so I did not tell him about it. We have been dating for about month now, how long should I wait before I tell him that I have schizophrenia? Or should I even tell him at all? Not that there is an urgency to share this information, however, I think it is important to be honest with friends.
I think it is kind of important to share the fact that I have a mental illness to friends, because they can be very beneficial by vocalizing symptoms, getting more information about the illness, and reminding one to take their medication.
Questions for You
If you have a mental illness, how long was it before you shared your diagnosis with your partner? If you are a friend, caregiver, family member, or someone interested in mental illness, would you date someone with a mental illness- why or why not?
If you want to learn more about schizophrenia I encourage you to check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness or Schizophrenia Society of Novia Scotia (Canada). Thank you for reading this blog and commenting!
Comments
I searched for answers, and some were discouraging. People said it was going to be ridiculously hard, people said he'd eventually lose his mind, people said there'd be tons of crazy things I'd have to deal with. But when I came to your blog, I have new hope.
I guess it's too late to answer your question seeing as it's 4 years later, but I will tell you from the perspective of someone in a relationship with someone who has schizophrenia: when we realized our relationship was getting more serious, he told me. And I'm glad he did. I appreciated his honestly and his ability to be real with me. That's actually one of the things that attracted me to him.
Continue being awesome, and giving people hope. Those with schizophrenia and their loved ones. I know that I will have to support him and help him out, and I know at times it may get tough, but to miss out on love just because he's different would be such a shame.
God bless! I hope you see this!