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A Stereotype, Schizophrenia, and How I Had It All Wrong
Before I was diagnosed with schizophrenia, I believed some of the stereotype. Here's what the stereotype got wrong and how it impacted me.
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A Young Adult gets a Schizophrenia Diagnosis- My Experience and How to Change It
Imagine, for a moment, a young adult, sitting on the couch in a psychiatrist’s office, shifting anxiously as they wait to hear the answer to their question. The doctor sits in her chair, red nails pressed tip to tip as she puts her hands together. Hesitantly, she gives the young adult the answer they dreaded – “It’s looking to be schizophrenia.” In your mind, who is this young adult? Yourself? Your child or sibling? Or perhaps a stranger? How did you picture them reacting to this news? My guess is, not well. And that would not be surprising. When I received my initial schizophrenia diagnosis, I thought my life was…
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If I had a second chance at my first year with schizoaffective disorder
Close your eyes for a moment. Think of a difficult time in your life. What do you feel? Do you feel like you did your best or do you have regrets? Or maybe a combination of both? If you had a second chance and could go back and change the decisions you made or the way you acted, would you? When my mind wanders back to my first year living with schizoaffective disorder, I think I did the best I thought I could. But I don’t think I made all the right choices. If I could go back to standing in 17-year-old me’s worn out converse shoes, there are some…
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Another Year Ending – Reflections on Schizoaffective Disorder and 2021
At the end of the month we’ll hear shouts of “Happy New Year!” On that day, I’ll have another year on this earth officially under my belt. Another year older, another year wiser, another year of struggle and change behind me. Happy birthday to me, you survived. Sometimes I wonder how. This last year was another test (but really, aren’t they all?) Panic disorder had me swapping to the passenger seat of my own car. Schizoaffective disorder introduced me to new individuals and voices. And depression had me thinking of actions that I’ve managed to resist for roughly seven years. Don’t worry, I’ve kept up my streak, but it was…
- Advocacy, Anxiety, Cognitive Symptoms, Depression, Medication, PTSD, Recovery, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophrenia
A year in my life with mental illness – 2020
2020 came at us with teeth. But as we rapidly approach the end of the year, which is also my 30th birthday, I’m beginning to reflect on this past year. For the United States and the world as a whole, it’s been a tumultuous year full of some high points, but many lows. Personally, there have been some bold highlights, but also deep lows. My mental health is always something of a struggle, but I was unprepared for what this year would bring. Things don’t always work out like you expect. This year started with a job change that I thought was going to be perfect. And while there have…
