Overcoming Schizophrenia

My mental health recovery journey started when I was jailed and hospitalized back in 2007. I was 20 years old. Taking a break from the university. Something had to explain why I was locked up without a cause in my mind. That truck I took was my blessing to escape the demons which spied on me, followed me and aimed to attack and kill me.  My Trek to the Airport      One day I got up and went to church and abruptly left the church building because their eyes appeared black and that meant they were demonic. Scared, confused and seemingly alone I strived to return to the familiar back in Atlanta. I already cashed my check from work. I traveled to the airport by the trolley. I got confused on the way which I thought was strange because I knew the public transportation system backward and forward.       I was a reality show celebrity and the cameras focused on me, strangers watched me and magazines and newspaper stands read my name across the front page...

I'm grateful for my sanity- I've learned not to take it for granted. I'm grateful for my health insurance and effectiveness of my medications to keep symptoms at bay. More importantly, I'm grateful for my family and extended family (friends). I'm able to bounce back because I have a solid support system and treatment team. Modeling Recovery When my family and I learned about my schizophrenia we didn't know what to expect nor what recovery could look like. Back in 2007, when I was diagnosed, there weren't people- black nor white disclosing their illness on public platforms like YouTube and social media.      There was nobody to model recovery for me- being a young black woman. However, I saw the movie with Diana Ross- Out of the Darkness. A movie made for television about a young African-American female living with schizophrenia. In short, she dropped out of medical school and suffered with her diagnosis. Fortunately, she got involved in her recovery and star...

 Defining Self-Stigma I define stigma as the universal unspoken code of discriminatory beliefs, misinformation, blame, and distain for us- people living with a mental health diagnosis. Examples of the stigma is undeniably found in routine discriminatory practices of disqualifying us in housing and objection to receiving different services and getting opportunities.  Also, ostracizing us in our communities and holding negative assumptions such as being prone to violence. Self-stigma are those negative beliefs turned inward but it goes deeper. It translates into the mindset of "I can'ts," and "I'll never be able to..." Being stuck in that mode of thinking. Gaining Acceptance My recovery foundation started at a psychiatric hospital in California. I was fortunate to have an enthusiastic doctor who believed recovery is possible. This made belief in myself attainable. Accepting my diagnosis became a lot easier when my doctor told me I can go back to school. I had ...

 How can you be a caregiver from a distance? What practices can caregivers implement to meet the needs of the individual?      My step-father is my caregiver. Yet, we live in different states. Still, he's my caregiver and we practice a great system to accommodate my needs especially in crisis. The Trust Factor There are a few elements to maintaining a healthy working partnership- trust and communication. It's challenging at times but manageable.      Trust demands understanding, loyalty, and respect. Whether I'm well or not he listens to me. For example, when I was last hospitalized I gave him direction on who I want to care for my son until I returned home.      We've had three-way conversations with my doctor. My step-father knows me well and can identify subtle signs when I need more support to share that information with my doctor. Communication is Key I've sent him selfies on the phone and he could tell by looking at my e...