Overcoming Schizophrenia

In this stage of my depression, I recognize it was triggered by loss of work. Like many Americans, I'm seeking employment, and I am not the only one struggling to manage my mental health.       Most days, I'm waking up later and later than before. I'm grateful my son doesn't see me struggling. My sister has my son for the school year which is helping me overcome times like this. While acknowledging my depression I strive to improve my outlook and have a productive day. Start with Focus      Combating the low moods starts with preparation. I'd prepare myself for the day by either by creating a "things to do" list the night before or beginning of the day. Striving to stay focused, I listen to motivational speakers talk about entrepreneurship and self-improvement tips. I start my day reflecting on their words and this cuts procrastination and allows me to control self-defeating thoughts. Self-Care and Self-Confidence      Focusing on my sel...

  I appreciate the opportunity to share my story with Tony Mantor and the mental health community. This interview is one of many presented throughout the month of May on his show. Sharing my recovery story is my way of contributing to the anti-stigma campaign for mental health awareness. I had a great interview experience with Tony while reflecting on the events which led to my diagnosis of schizophrenia. My story is one of countless that shows the unfortunate link between mental health and the judicial system... For May Mental Health Awareness Month, veteran Nashville music producer and podcast host, Tony Mantor, continues to present daily mental health-related interviews for the Humanity Over Handcuffs: The Silent Special Series on Why Not Me The World Podcast, commemorating the start of Autism Acceptance Month in April.  "The series purpose is to refrain from assigning blame, and instead focus on developing solution driven strategies," Mantor said about the new podcast ser...

The following blog article was written by Scott Bernard... Thank you, Scott for sharing the information. This type of support will undoubtedly help countless individuals. As individuals with schizophrenia can relate, different people can express very different transitions between psychosis and their baseline state. Some individuals experience the transition as an on-off switch. Initially they may have near perfect insight into the cause of their hallucinations, and the flawed logic behind their delusional thoughts. Then suddenly, they may lose nearly all insight into their condition, and whole wholeheartedly believing in their delusional thoughts, or having trouble differentiating their hallucinations from reality. Then there is another group of individuals who possess a level of insight which tends to fluctuate up or down more gradually. Rather than going from a complete understanding of the cause of symptoms, to a complete lack of insight into the driver of their symptoms, this group...

It's not the medicine that reminds me I have a diagnosis; it's ongoing self-monitoring.  Every day I follow my self-care regimen. It helps me; rejuvenates me and enhances my functioning. I embrace it.  Frequently, I take steps back to redirect and regroup in order to move forward. Lately, I've been working diligently on projects and striving to uphold that beast mode to get positive results. However, I must force myself to slow down to control stress. Even if it's created by good stressors. Even if I'm determined to finish something and pull an all-nighter, I stop myself and go to bed at a decent hour. I don't want to activate mania and it to worsen into my schizophrenia symptoms. When I'm working hard on tasks, I must increase my self-care rituals. That means making time to practice more stress reduction techniques to boost my energy and uphold that drive. Sometimes, I take a brisk walk around my neighborhood. Other times I stop to listen to nature sounds t...

This book, A Good Life: The Perception of Perfection (Revised Edition) , is rich with insight on living with schizophrenia. It provides approaches to managing the condition... Thank you, Karl for sharing your recovery story and bringing your new book to us. Guest Blogger: Karl Lorenz Willett. Thank you, Ashley, for inviting me to be a guest blogger on your website. I am a big fan of your blog and always look forward to your new post. The depth of insightful information or a particular point raised provided a lot of practical, valuable information that has been incredibly helpful. Key Points in this post/blog: My mission is to provide clear explanations and valuable, insightful, and informative blogs that resonate with your readers and will benefit them. In my recently published book, A Good Life: The Perception of Perfection (Revised Edition), I hope to offer a new perspective on paranoid schizophrenia. I hope that readers will be enthusiastic about the content and purchase a copy of...

Rough times. All relationships with deal them. What does that look like? Ongoing disagreements and arguing. Shifts in attitude and definition of personal space. That awkward silence and growing division. Ultimately, the invisible wall that creates distance. There are infinite reasons partners disagree. For those of us with health challenges such as schizophrenia this health problem creates another challenge in relationships that demands attention. Being Attentive and Understanding When I wasn't well and stuck in my depression these moments challenged my relationship as did other health-related situations. Bad days looked like being chained to the bed with less words to share. I recall my partner helping me overcome that period by continuously checking on me. While understanding I might not be in the mood to talk and giving me more space whenever I made that known. Some days I didn't feel like talking. I'd text and tell him that then follow up later on. Skipped Doses and Poo...

Dating demands our partners to take on a package that is our health issues. Similarily, when an individual dates a person with young children they are accepting them as a package. Likewise, these packages come in all sorts. However, when should we disclose our diagnosis? This is an ongoing question that has many unique answers. Disclosure is about Gaining Empathy It's important we disclose. It's kind of like having a child and dating. We should share that information. Disclosing has many advantages. It answers a lot of the why's and provides a clearer picture. For example, a single parent might need to afford a babysitter. Minimize late night dates. Either include their child on the date or exclude them which requires tough decision-making and need for discussion. Adding clarity to the relationship by disclosing the facts about living with this condition creates understanding. Disclosure is about gaining empathy. This health issue was inherited and is nobody's fault. Th...

As we know society views schizophrenia in a disturbing manner. The general public does not know what schizophrenia is. If you're newly diagnosed, you may be susceptible to the negative beliefs that are prevalent. Accepting society's poor perceptions is the self-stigma.  Combating the Self-Stigma Believe it or not I've held self-stigmatizing thoughts too. I've thought because I have this condition nobody will want to be in a relationship with me. Over the years, I've gained insight into what this diagnosis is and isn't.  Educating oneself, like what you're doing now, on the facts that recovery is possible is vital. This fact is a powerful weapon to combat the stigma. Therefore, in turn refuting the self-stigma. It's essential we don't internalize the false information nor identify ourselves by our diagnoses. Yes, we have limitations, as everybody does, but our health problems do not have to steal the life out of us. Learning more about our health conc...

       Join the conversation in our Share it with Charlotte podcast interview: "Connecting With Ashley Smith's Journey - In Her Own Ink." Leave a comment. We discuss my journey of recovery, family life and new book, In Her Own Ink. Also, I encourage you to look at our past interview: Share it with Charlotte "Crushing the Spirit of Depression."      I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my story and to talk about mental health and my new book, In Her Own Ink. I enjoyed my experience on Charlotte's show because she always makes me feel at home.     Thank you, Charlotte for allowing me to share my passion that is diving into mental health talks and my books. I wish you well on your show and look forward to continuing our discussion on coping with schizophrenia and related conditions.

          I had a terrific interview with Sam an individual living with autism who is also a postdoctoral researcher. Frequently, he interviews people who are living with autism and other mental health conditions.       I enjoyed our interview because he allowed me the opportunity to discuss a lot of different aspects of living in recovery. Our interview focuses on a wide range of topics including schizophrenia symptoms, parenting with a diagnosis, advocacy, romantic relationships, caregivers - my recovery experience.       Do watch this video and learn more about my story and how an individual could cope with a diagnosis such as mine; schizoaffective disorder (bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia). I encourage you to review his other interviews as well and to subscribe to his YouTube channel, All Neurotypes Office; www.youtube.com/@allneurotypesoffice7037 and check out his website: www.allneurotypes.com ...

I'm in a good space in my recovery and I want you to unlock your power to get the recovery results you desire, too. In this blog article, I'll identify strategies I've personally exercised to maximize my health plan. We will reexamine the definition of recovery which is forever evolving for us. We'll discuss specific tactics to master resiliency and execute your power to take control of symptoms and your well-being.   Living with a mental health diagnosis can be extremely stressful if left unaddressed. Symptoms of schizophrenia range from signature signs and issues with seeing and hearing people that others do not. Severe paranoia such as being suspicious of loved ones and strangers without evidence or realistic demand. Other symptoms of schizophrenia are isolation, catatonia (being still, literally for extended periods of time), lack of awareness, confusion, lack of motivation and depression...  Recovery is striving for a fulfilling life through self-awareness and supp...

For a long time, I dreamed about being an author. A peer in recovery walked me through the steps of self-publishing my blog book and now I'm assisting individuals with their book-writing.       In 2014, I self-published my first blog book, What's On My Mind? A Collection of Blog Entries from Overcoming Schizophrenia, Volume I, foreword by Christina Bruni. I was fortunate to get recognition from the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, Inc. when they gave every attendee a copy of my book at their conference in 2014 at St. Simon's Island in Georgia, "The Year of the Peer." They purchased 500 copies of the book.     Currently, I published my seventh book, In Her Own Ink: Strategies for Creating from Author to Author (2025). This book is a creative wordsmith handbook for non-fiction authors. It's unique in that I interview five fellow authors for tips on book-writing. I interviewed the following authors: Venessa Abram Christina Bruni Felicia Johnson Terri M...

     Recovery is a skill. It is the practice of exercising our self-care routines and participating in supportive environments such as therapy, treatment programs and other wellness-oriented rituals like church. It is a lifestyle of intentional habits geared towards maintaining a healthier wellbeing. Consistently, striving to cope and control symptoms to maintain personal wellbeing.      How can an individual get on the recovery track? In my experience it requires different supports including family, community, and those hand-picked choices to be a part of your network. Also, being mindful of my needs.     My recovery requires constant self-analysis no matter how small or subtle. For me this self-awareness examines my sleeping habits or need for more sleep and recognizes the changes contributing to the shifts. Always mindful of whether I skipped a dose or not to explain changes. For example, lately, I've missed my doses of the mood stabilizer. I f...

By Michelle D Sherman, PhD LP ABPP and DeAnne Sherman Individuals managing mental illness are often accompanied on the journey of recovery by loved  ones—parents, partners, siblings, friends, and children (of all ages). Sometimes the road is hopeful—perhaps a positive period of stability and growth, a new medication or therapy, or a new job. Other times, the road feels scary, confusing, sad, and overwhelming—perhaps a hospitalization, crisis, or discontinuing treatment services. Research has documented numerous mental health challenges among these family members, such as increased rates of depression, substance misuse, loneliness, and overall stress. As families often struggle with the challenges of navigating the healthcare system - supporting their loved ones through the ups and downs, encountering stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness, and managing their own well-being - it’s no wonder that the experience can be difficult and exhausting. One of the very best...

What happens when we take our medication at the wrong time of day? If we skip a dose, should we double-up? Are there any medications that a woman can take which will not harm the unborn child? Can medication prevent relapse? Talk to Your Doctor      These are just some of the questions we should ask our doctors to gain clarity. I've learned first-hand the trials and errors of not comprehending the facts and making poor decisions. Often, we wonder what the fine print says but don't investigate. Therefore, we ask our doctors questions without understanding what language they're speaking and leave their office with the same questions.     My medication cocktail changed over the years. In the past, I've been fortunate to be on a single medication to effectively treat my schizophrenia symptoms. While other times I've had to work diligently with my doctor to adjust my medication cocktail. For example, dealing with two anti-depressants or anti-psychotics at once in add...

     Growing up I skipped doses to control allergies, colds and headaches. Found alternative home remedies to defeat taking medicines. I didn't know that one day  all those times I wasn't taking medication I'd make up for it later.  Trial and Error      For years my doctor and I tweaked my medication cocktail. We'd try a combination which worked for a little while but then those good effects wore off and my depression and the negative symptoms returned- aggressively.  I've suffered in silence alone. In bed struggling for relief.     I've had to jump through hoops everyday for months at a time to have a good day. Followed a strict routine of exercising, meditation and prayer, listening to pep talks, journaling and checking in with family and friends while attending therapy and taking medications to manage my schizophrenia, bipolar and depression.  Appreciation for Medication      Now I take meds for headaches and ...