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Messages of Hope

Don't let Schizophrenia steal your joy! If you or someone you know is living with Schizophrenia or any mental illness there is hope. Schizophrenia is a manageable illness, like other medical conditions, with treatment and support.

Hope to me is to hear my own voice and only my voice when I am alone. I am thankful that I tried something that manages my hallucinations and other symptoms. I am hopeful that others living with Schizophrenia may find the treatment that works for them too. And hopeful that society will find solutions to many complications associated with the cause, or causes of the illness, and to find better treatment or a cure for this concern.

Someone with Schizophrenia can live a "normal" life in recovery, which is an on-going process to manage this illness. There is no set time frame for recovery. And, I will say this again, there is no set time frame for recovery, everyone is different and may require unique avenues to reach stability despite one's challenging illness.

I am a genuine example of someone successfully managing Schizophrenia! I am still in recovery, still putting together the pieces of my past realities or product of symptoms, and I am still learning myself like many other people who may not have a diagnosis.

What helped in my recovery is treatment, hope from family and health care professionals, and education, education, education! Here are some websites on Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses:

Yes, Schizophrenia scared me, yes, Schizophrenia stole meaningful relationships from me, and yes, Schizophrenia even had the audacity to take away daily choices from me... but today, I am overcoming Schizophrenia, and you can too!

To learn more about Schizophrenia visit Embracing My Mind, Inc., National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (Canada).

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Comments

Womanrise said…
Ashley, whatever this mental stole from you, you seemed to have gotten it back. You were very spiritual prior to this change in your life and you are still spiritual and very active in your church. You were going to college, and was forced to take a short break, but you're back in college and have been for more than two semesters. You were very active in sports, and it's nice to hear that you are starting to run again. Everything in life takes time, if it is to be done right. God has always had His hands on you and you are indeed an example of a true survivor. You didn't let anything steal your joy or stop you. Trust me, I've watched you, with pride!

If there is anyone out there tackling with a mental illness, Ashley's stories are real, nothing is sugarcoated. If she can recover, so can you. If you need support, Ashley is dedicating her life to helping you so that you can succeed too. It is not an easy journey, but it is very much a possible journey. She's been there, done that! I know, I have watched Ashley and I am very proud of who she is and what she is doing. I actually believe Ashley is a better person because she is actually taking the time to learn herself, which of lot of us don't seem to make the time to do.
March 13, 2011 at 5:52 AM
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