Overcoming Schizophrenia

Today I’m in a good space. My symptoms are at bay and I’m not stressed. I continue to monitor my medication regimen on my cell phone. Also, uphold my daily routine and self-care practices. Self-Management What’s helping me maintain is staying connected with my doctor and therapist. I keep my appointments and share any concerns.  Participating in weekly support groups and staying busy helps me manage my stress. I keep my support system close by checking in with friends and family regularly.  Developing Skills I stay productive by working on projects through my new book coaching business, In Her Own Ink. Continuing my research and strategies to get new clients. Every day I strive to develop my marketing skills. For example, practicing my elevator pitch and learning habits to build the business. These activities are empowering. Constantly, recycling my coping tools while managing my business. Entrepreneurship is ideal for peers in recovery because we can control our time, and in...

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...

  The "Peer Support & Coping Skills," video is 2 of 3 interviews by Lauren from Living Well With Schizophrenia. In this video we explore what a certified peer specialist (CPS) does and how peer support helps.  I encourage you to learn more about the CPS position to train to become a CPS or to meet an individual who can support your recovery. If you haven't already I want you to view Lauren's YouTube channel, Living Well With Schizophrenia and to subscribe. Lauren is a peer in recovery and she provides information on what it's like to live with mental health and how to manage.  Thank you Lauren for this opportunity to share my experience and to help the cause that is to promote awareness about mental health recovery, and to assist others on their journey to empower themselves through the lived experience.  Do share this video. Enjoy!

Regaining motivation is tough but it is possible. Resiliency is an inherent gift. In spite of setbacks we learn how to manage. However, some of us unconsciously turn to quick coping strategies that may spiral out of control and lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. These quick fixes may include but are not limited to smoking, substance abuse, overeating, abuse of prescription drugs, and dysfunctional relationships. Ultimately these habits may lead or worsen depression and our mental makeup.  My depression looks like extreme exhaustion, lack of motivation, oversleeping, poor eating habits, irritability, isolation, anxiety, no excitement, and minimal fluctuation in mood. This is not me. Depression may also include: poor hygiene, suicidal thoughts, recurring hospitalizations, and suicide attempts. Depression looks different for everybody. However, the common denominator is feeling low, unlike ourselves, and suffering in a mediocre state of mind and lifestyle. If any of these feeling...

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...

Lately, I've been under a lot of stress with work, volunteering, family life, and promoting my book. My mental illness seems to enable me to do what I want and need to do, but I feel I need to tweak my medication, because of my challenging thoughts and depression. Whenever I experience a lot of unwanted thoughts, anxiety, and a lack of motivation to keep my house neat I know I must focus on managing my stress. To help myself with the stress, this week I organized my work into one binder opposed to keeping a lot of folders and loose papers. It helped a little for my work environment. However, my mood and home environment are my most difficult concerns, because I am less accountable to keep a clean house, and I could make up a series of excuses as to why there is a mess. Last week I cancelled my doctor's appointment because of a valid reason that I will not go into detail about. I will reschedule my appointment ASAP because I feel like some of my symptoms are gradually retur...

I think I've been experiencing mania, but I am not sure. I think I am in a manic state right now, because I am writing too much about mental illness. Over the last week I've written more blog entries than usual. And when I've recorded all I want to share on my blog I surf the web for other blogs to read and comment, which is not a habit, although I've come across some good blogs. Also, I am overly excited about a couple of projects to the extent that I cannot sleep or do anything else but record my thoughts and focus on the project. I am spending too much time on the laptop, and I know it but still I engage it. Writing is very therapeutic to me. Right now it is calming my anxiousness.   Lastly, my mood had been up, way up, and then down and irritable because of small disappointments and this usually wouldn't effect me as much.   I want to know if this is a form of mania or not, and if so, how to overcome it?   To learn more about schizophrenia visit E...

Some of the symptoms and side effects of my medication that I still struggle with are lack of facial responsiveness and seeming to walk a little stiff. Because other people have told me about these symptoms and side effects of my medication I try to overcome them. While I am speaking to someone I may intentionally blink my eyes so that I don't seem to stare off, and I smile more. Occasionally, I nod my head so that the person I am talking to knows that I am following with whatever they are saying. And, I may turn away and then look back. Now, I have mastered these movements. A major side effect for the medication I am taking was stiffness. When I first started my medication regimen in 2007, my peers said I looked like a robot. However, I did not feel stiff, but doctors and others noticed how I walked. In fact, my doctor gave me another medication to help counteract the stiffness. Now, I am not taking the other medicine because the side effects have seemed to fade away over time. ...

Random House Webster's Dictionary defines stress as physical, mental, or emotional tension. There are positive stress factors as well as negative stressors that may worsen symptoms in people with schizophrenia. However, this information is for everyone, not just people with schizophrenia. The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia gives several examples of things that trigger stress which may include but are not limited to the following: a move, problem in a relationship, having a baby, getting married or divorced, starting a new job, experiencing a death in the family, or being ill. The book goes further to identify signs of stress that include: headaches, indigestion, increased heart rate, or muscular tension. Problems concentrating, mood disturbance, becoming irritable, anxious, or depressed. Other behaviors that suggest stress are nail biting, restlessness, explosive outburst , drinking or using drugs. Some coping mechanisms to overcome stress include: Journal Watching tele...