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“Close to Your Chest”- On Working Openly With Psychosis
Dear Professor, Back around 2011, I applied for a position in your lab as a research assistant. I hadn’t been your student, but your research interests were near enough to mine that the job caught my attention. I eagerly told you that part of why I was interested in the position was because of my own experiences with severe mental illness, specifically, schizoaffective disorder. Your face became serious. You told me that that was something I should keep close to my chest when seeking a job. In the moment, I was fiercely upset. I vowed that I would not keep this close to my chest. Because I should not have…
- Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Perfectionism, PTSD, Recovery, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophrenia
An Invisible Disability – Understanding What You Can’t See
I feel like the world has this idea of what disabilities are supposed to look like. Yet, quite often, it doesn’t match what it’s really like. And having an invisible disability comes with it’s own cocktail of stigma and expectations. Personally, I often find myself examining my own disabilities through the eyes of others. But knowing that others don’t see my suffering has only served to hold me back. It’s taken me years to convince myself that whether or not I have a disability has nothing to do with what others see. What matters is how it feels and impacts your life. And while onlookers may never know the true…
- 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…
