Tammie Taliaferro

People Are Crazy, I’m Not Crazy

When I was sixteen I had an episode of craziness. I was delusional, hearing and seeing things that weren’t there. My mother ask me what was wrong and I blurted out “it’s all in the book, the book that I’m gonna write called people are crazy, I’m not crazy”. I was not diagnosed with anything. I was in the ER and they said I was fine. I felt a drop of liquid drop on my forehead and I thought I was being blessed and called to do something for God. I was so confused and disoriented. The doctor couldn’t see what was going on in my head and my behavior wasn’t a problem. I was sent home and continued to be out of my mind for several days. By the grace of God I returned to my normal self. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 26, they got it wrong. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 61. Since that time I’ve been taking a antipsychotic and I feel better, I function better. Mental illness didn’t make me stupid. I graduated in 1985 as a RN and worked 26 years full time in Palm Beach County. I also raised 2 children by myself. I was in my prime in my 30’s and 40’s. I ended up in hospital about every 2 years with psychosis. I’ve had multiple hospitalizations, too many to count. How could they get it wrong almost all my life? Bipolar and schizophrenia do have some similarities but I wasn’t prescribed an antipsychotic medication which I desperately needed. Thankfully I am doing well. I’m retired and disabled since 2005. I suffered a neck injury when a tall and big man fell on me at work. As a result I became so depressed because I was out of work and depending on my adult son to help me financially. My doctor advised me to go to the hospital so he could “ tweet my meds“. They gave Me a new medication called Seroquel. I ended up with the side effect of neuroleptic malignant syndrome which almost killed me. I was in intensive care, I did not recognize or know my children. I developed short term memory loss after that. I underwent memory testing which revealed it and subsequently my . p ate in. i ater used thevn I suIhsychiatrist forced me on disability. I cried and cried. I begged him to give me time to get better. I never filled out a form or signed anything. It just happened. People are crazy. Just a few years later I passed the exam to sell life insurance, health insurance and annuities on the first try. Most people have to take it 2 or 3 times. I hated the insurance business. I never sold anything and didn’t make any money. I just had to prove that my memory loss wasn’t that bad. (to be continued)