Overcoming Schizophrenia

The best thing about this recovery journey is the process of developing self-awareness and enriching self-care habits. I agree, the greatest investment is in yourself. I think we leave the door open to conflicting ideas about self-care by watching television and other people. To me self-care looks like pampering myself, creating time to reflect, and doing things that I enjoy. However, this was not always my outlook.  I engage in self-awareness by acknowledging my needs, concerns, and feelings. I am grateful for devoting time to praise and worship. My spirituality soothes me, but also energizes me to keep tying to have a good day.  One of the most profound coping skills that I engage in is writing. My journal is my comfort blanket in a way. I write letters to my higher power, myself, and sometimes to my mother. Writing clears my mind. Are you engaging your needs and feelings? Do you give yourself enough self-care to reap the benefits of a better state of being?...

I have been declared insane by society. I have been feared. I have been labelled. I have been disappointed by many because of rejection. I lost my mind, twice due to psychosis, but I came back stronger than before. We are not to blame for this illness, nor the stigma that society places on us. I am whole. I am worthy. I am strong. I am better today because of who I am and what I've been through. I have a mental illness, but it does not have me. I will continue to try to overcome. I will continue to aim to cope daily. I will continue to fight in my spirit, in my walk and self-care routine, because I must, in order, to live . I commend my peers for striving to overcome the fight. The fight against self-stigma. The war within our minds, and the struggles we aim to endure daily. I stand with you not simply in symptoms nor words, but through this fight called life, stigma, and mental illness- the label, the confusion, the pain that we must preserve through every day. Remember this...

"You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anyone." - Maya Angelou As I scrolling through one of the private groups on social media a woman shared that she was engaged. She noted how this was important, because she had given up on relationships due to her mental illness. As an advocate for mental wellness it is particularly challenging for me to date, because most cannot handle the label- my mental health status. I have battled this at times, but in the end I keep advocating, and accepting myself and mission to fight stigma. Living with mental illness is challenging because it is an invisible condition. Therefore, people have stated that I do not look like I have a mental illness, or that I have been delivered and do not need medication. These statements are supposed to be compliments, but they reinforce the reality, which is stigma still persists. When I was hospitalized I knew a peer who had one visitor- her husband. He later told my mother that my pee...

Although depression looks different for everybody there are a few characteristics that remain the same:  exhaustion, depleted energy, poor hygiene, isolation, and limited emotional responses to otherwise uplifting events. For me, exhaustion plays a significant role in having depression. Simple tasks seem like a chore. My body feels like it cannot build enough stamina to do what I want and need to do. I’ve experienced poor hygiene in the past when I was in crisis mode. Like many individuals, when I am not well I shy away from conversation and people. When I should be excited or happy, I am not. There are varying reasons why people get depressed: loss of a job, grieving, bankruptcy, finances, separation in a serious relationship, genetic predisposition, disappointments and loss, poor weather, etc. Whatever the reason for depression we need to identify signs and continue to try to overcome it before it consumes us. Focus on building your coping skills. Therefore, when depr...