Skip to main content

World Schizophrenia Day 2022: Remember, Me. Poem by Ashley Smith

World Schizophrenia Day is important because it validates the importance of spreading awareness about people living with schizophrenia. Still, the truth is schizophrenia is NOT a personality disorder. Schizophrenia is a thought disorder that can make it difficult to speak, think clearly, and problem solve. It is made up of a wide range of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis.

Unlike other illnesses, people living with schizophrenia have more challenges to treatment and recovery. The stigma alone, discourages countless people from getting diagnosed, and perpetuates the suffering in silence. World Schizophrenia Day is a powerful opportunity to promote the truth that recovery is possible. 

In the updated blog book, What’s on My Mind? Volume I, Revised Edition, I wrote a poem, “Remember, Me.” It captures the human perspective on living with schizophrenia. Simply put, we are human, too.


Remember, Me.

by Ashley Smith


Will you remember me when I am not myself?

Will you remember me when I do not look like me?

Remember me despite my distant stare and the changes you see.

The low energy, the struggle with being stuck, the challenges to be me.

Remember me because I am still the same old me.

Remember me as before.

Remember me.

Remember my smile,

Remember my warmth.

 Remember me, just plain me—like before.

Before my illness,

Before my hospitalization,

Before my setback and devastation.

Remember me.

Will you remember me?

Do remember, I am still me!

Remember me, please, remember, me.


Labels:

Comments

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

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

Learning more about my Symptoms and Diagnosis

A few weeks ago I asked the question: "Mania or Something Else?" ... Well, I got an answer to my question, plus some! I visited my doctor a couple of weeks ago and he confirmed I was experiencing "hypo-mania," which is what fellow blogger assumed I was experiencing. To my understanding hypo-mania is similar to mania however not as extreme where incidents lead to harsh consequences like arrests. When I was in this state of mind I was obsessed with working on my laptop, I blogged more frequently than usual, and I felt like I was on an upward swing, which was a little unusual, this lasted for about a week and then quickly spiraled down into irritability. After sharing how I was feeling with my doctor we tweaked my medication... I am glad I have a better understanding of myself, now I know how to identify my hypo-mania moments! However, my discussion with my doctor lead to another indept discussion- I shared previous moments of hypo-mania which as a result m...
20 comments
Read more