Overcoming Schizophrenia

These last few months have shown me how my mental health symptoms comes to the surface in cycles. That's my bipolar element of the schizoaffective disorder. Living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be rough therefore I appreciate my good days when I can get more work done and boost my self-confidence through completing different tasks.     For a while I was waking up tired. Mentally drained without reason. I felt exhausted and unmotivated. Sometimes, I slept my days away.      I'm grateful for my good days. Lately, I've had better days. Now I can get out of bed more easily and concentrate on the tasks at hand to complete assignments. I'm proud of myself for doing the small tasks like house chores and other responsibilities such as work.     I found a way to work smarter and not harder. I'm thankful for what I can achieve. Whenever I pray I give thanks to my higher power for my sanity. I don't take these things for granted.     I've ...

[This talk: "Recommendations for People Experiencing Mental Health Challenges: Ashley Smith: Let's Talk - The Let's Talk Project is funded by a grant from the Association for Psychological Science Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science.] This talk emphasizes the fact that recovery will look different for everybody, and it will be a fight. I encourage people with similar diagnoses to consider my three recommendations: Consider therapy, Strengthen your support system, and Manage your self-care "I'm not immune to setbacks and to breakdowns, but I am confident that I'm going to give it my all to come back stronger and better after every breakdown, because I've been through some rough moments and I probably have some ahead of me...."

     When I was trapped in my mind's chaos I did not recognize the signals to seek heightened professional treatment. The signals were people's strange facial expressions as they stared at me, my family's determination to see me voluntarily hospitalized, my poor appetite and sleeping routine, and my aimless desires, which consistently shifted and even confused me. I said things that sounded bizarre, but I could not challenge them because my focus sporadically changed to the next thing before I gave it consideration.      I have a good memory and could recall difficult moments. Those times when I was ignored, dismissed, and overlooked. I remember those close to me who I thought would be some of my greatest advocates, but disappointed me. I choose to focus on the solution and not my sad incidents with people. More importantly, I know the individuals who took the time to investigate my situation, and tried to help.      I choose to focus on the ...

    In addition to the symptoms of this thought disorder, stigma is a great challenge, especially self-stigma. I believe it is among the top barriers to wellness. When I was diagnosed with schizophrenia it seemed that my identity crumbled. I used to cling to my college student role. My symptoms took away my motivation to study, speak, and do activities which usually gave me joy and a healthy outlet. When I dropped out of school I felt like I was less than. In the beginning, I did not know what my recovery could look like, I thought I would not be able to live a fulfilling life.       However, I was fortunate to have a lot of support and hope despite my health challenges. My doctor, mother, and treatment team gave me hope. When I was diagnosed my social worker, Elaine, referred me to a housing program and clubhouse which was empowering, because I was surrounded by peers with similar diagnoses. The program engaged us through recovery-oriented meetings, f...

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...

The therapist upholds much in my relationship with recovery, which is a lifestyle. My therapist helps in diverse ways such as holding me accountable to my treatment plan, routine to maintain wellness, and self-commitments, or personal obligations. My therapist helps me combat self-stigma, encourages balance and routine as well as focus on wellness. In short, my therapist plays a significant role in my treatment team that consists of my psychiatric doctor, nurse, myself, and them, the therapist. Whenever I have unanswered questions I take concerns to my therapist. My therapist finds resolutions pertaining to unanswered questions with my doctor, and general demands at the mental health center altogether. For example, when I had concerns paying for medication my therapist made a referral to the nurse to manage my needs. Also, my therapist can assist in scheduling appointments with the doctor whenever there is an emergency. Overall, the therapist plays a vital role in helping me stay a...

Living with a mental illness can be challenging, however, with insight and proper interventions we can regain control of our lives, dignity, and independence faster by planning ahead. Over the course of 11 years in recovery from schizophrenia I was hospitalized twice;  at age 20, and age 31. I was single during my first hospitalization. However, I had much at risk during my second hospitalization; my family, home, and thus, livelihood. My experience will further support both newly diagnosed peers, and fellow peers already in recovery who can attest to the disruptions of crisis and hospitalization that may have been handled better had a post-crisis plan and intervention been in place. From experience I learned an even greater lesson than 'take your medication.' The lesson I learned is simple, and not an innovative idea, but sadly overlooked across treatment planning and visits, which is to plan ahead and document it! The psychiatric advance directive (PAD) much like the adv...

There is a stigma against me and my peers, but there is also one against mental health care providers. Common stigmas of me and my peers vary from lazy, possessing a split personality, to mass murderer- ugh! The stigma of health care providers are they abuse patients, treat us all the same, or do not listen to patients' concerns. However, I view my peers and health care providers totally different. I see my peers living independently or contributing to the household. They seem like peaceful individuals- practicing mindfulness and keeping to themselves- not inflicting pain on anyone or starting a riot. They engage in creative hobbies such as art or poetry, and other activities. My peers not only help themselves but also other peers by offering advice and a listening ear. And they're far from lazy!- a lot of the people I associate with who have a mental illness volunteer. They also work jobs that they take pride in and enjoy, part-time and full-time. Despite what really goes ...

This blog entry is in response to my last, " When Coping isn't Coping Anymore ," posted on December 19, 2012... Recently, I've been under a lot of stress, so I tried my usual coping skills that usually worked for me in the past with dissatisfaction and no relief. Accordingly, I went to speak to my therapist to learn new ways to help me cope with my stress and anxiety. Fortunately I came after most of the traffic died down in the mental health center, and was able to speak with her. We came up with a stress management plan. The plan is to set a time frame or parameters around the time I spend on the lap top doing business. I will prioritize my work load and take more time out for myself to relax. I plan to try this new way of limiting the time I spend to my business for a week or two. After talking to my therapist about the many things on my mind, I felt some relief and satisfaction with the stress management plan we devised. I feel safe knowing that these feelin...

I am concerned that I may be slipping into depression that may get worse if untreated. Prior to the birth of my child I never had a bout with depression, but as my body changed so did my hormones and my susceptibility to depression. A few months ago I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and at the time I knew I needed extra support from my my treatment team. I knew I needed to focus on my mental health because my anxiety level was up and down, it was difficult to concentrate, and I felt extremely overwhelmed and afraid my mental illness would rear its ugly head and try to destroy my recovery accomplishments. I spoke my therapist who contacted my doctor and let them know I was coming in the next morning as a walk-in, which I did and we tweaked my medication. Now, its hard to focus and to carry out minor assignments, sometimes I feel anxious for no reason, I am extremely tired and sleep more than usual, and I feel like I am on a downward spiral. Yet, I have reason to be. I have ...

The following entry was submitted by Kitty Holman: For those who suffer from mental illnesses like schizophrenia, medication can be effective in alleviating the most serious symptoms, but lifestyle management and substantive therapy go further in treating the illness long-term. Since therapy can play a key role in achieving and maintaining stability, it's very important that you be selective in choosing a therapist. While every licensed therapist does have professional credentials, the styles and personalities of each different therapist are more suited to some patients than others. Here are a few tips for finding a therapist that meets your specific needs. 1. Get recommendations from friends or family. To get a better idea of what a therapist will be like before you meet him or her, ask your friends, acquaintances, or family for recommendations. Word-of-mouth is often the best way to begin an initial search for a therapist because you'll know exactly how the potential therapis...