schizophrenia

Schizophrenia 101; look beyond the pop culture portrayals and learn the reality behind this oft-stigmatized mental illness.

Schizophrenia and it’s symptoms
Mistake me if I’m wrong, but haven’t you argued the facts about being Confused and reacting to something unpredictable, like our mind and body is not our own? “It’s not just you!”
By Vibeka Joy Dean-Rogers5 years ago in Psyche
Schizophrenia
I was completely aware when I entered my psychotic state. I was walking through this crowd of students at my highschool between classes in 2008. I was 17 when I felt like the pressure had been let out of my head. It felt like a gas was escaping my mind as I slowed to a halt in the midst of these moving students. I couldn’t remember anything. I didn’t know where I was or where I was going or what my name was. I felt lost and I started to cry. They called my parents because I was standing in the middle of the quad way into the class period. I went home. I stopped eating, I stopped sleeping, I couldn’t talk or form thoughts but I was very aware of all this as it was going on. It felt like I had lost control of some function.
By Jose Arguelles5 years ago in Psyche
Homeless and Mentally Ill in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona
In 2005 I had one of my worst schizoaffective episodes I’ve ever had. I attempted to receive treatment when I first noticed symptoms occurring. I contacted my mental health clinic seeking help. They decided to help me by taking me to the streets of downtown Phoenix, Arizona to stay in a homeless shelter.
By Adrienne K.6 years ago in Psyche
Suffering From Mental Illness
I've been suffering from major depression, hearing voices, and seeing things that were not there since the age of 5 yrs old. No one in my family knew what I was going through, accept my grandma, who truly knew I had a problem. Going to school was rough for me, as I was getting bullied every single day, which led me to almost take my life, but instead of resorting to that, I started doing self affliction to myself which took the pain away. To make myself feel better I'd scratch myself til I bled, which gave me at that time some relief. As I got in my teens, I started hearing and seeing shadows, angels, and demons, which at first, scared the hell out of me. In my teens, the depression got bad, I didn't want to live and the voices were telling me to hurt myself and others, the depression was severe I didn't have any energy, I didn't want to take a bath, comb my hair, etc. When I sought help and meds, I slowly got better and I recovered, I'm not cured, but medication and therapy for my mental illness has been a big help, especially with God's help. Don't be afraid to seek help, your not crazy, your not insane, get help and treatment, don't worry what people think or say, you got to look out for you!!!! Sometimes dealing with the highs and lows of mental illness can be depressing but meds really do make a difference , because it truly has helped me. Now that I'm on meds and getting therapy, my life has totally changed. Once upon a time I had social anxiety, which keep me away from large crowds and stores. I kid you not, walmart was one of the stores I feared the most because of large crowds, it was so bad I couldn't function, but therapy has helped me in this area. So now I can do my own shopping, pay bills, and drive. It has truly been a blessing, because now I got my GED, CNA license, Driver's license, and now I'm in school for psychology. I hope sharing my story help someone and encouraged them to seek help and not be afraid or ashamed to. Getting treatment for mental illness, is the best thing you can do to change your life, because it did me a 360, and hopefully you would apply yourself, change will come, you just have to have patience with yourself and have faith in God. You will get through this, together with spiritual, mental, and physical help. It's going to be alright, help is on the way, you can do this, I believe in you. Also I'd like to say to keep yourself busy at all times, because an idle mind is devil's workshop, because when your bored and not keeping your mind busy, all kind of thoughts will come to mind, and then, that's when the depression sets in, and for people, when it gets to that stage, some be so depressed that they commit suicide. Suicide is a serious issue today, people who not in our shoes will never understand what it's like to even have the thought or a plan. People who commit suicide, show signs before they do it like: depression, withdrawn, and pretending everything is alright when it really isn't, they be crying out for help, please have a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on, in their times of gloom and darkness.
By Latasha Bryant6 years ago in Psyche
John & The Fly
It was late in the evening, my heart was tired and my stomach was full of food. I sat in my recliner, flipping through the channels, as nothing in particular caught my eye. It was then I heard a loud, buzzing noise. Not so much around my head or anywhere near me, but more so right down the hall from me. I was distraught for a moment, only because I had not ever heard such a noise before. I quickly rose to my feet in hopes of finding out where exactly the noise was coming from. I ventured off into the hallway, flipping the light switches on, when suddenly I heard it again, only a loud thud soon followed the buzzing. My heart started racing. My mind came to so many conclusions as to what it could be, but none of it made sense. A buzzing? It couldn't be a robber. I stood frozen in my foot steps when I heard light tapping on the ground. Around the corner of the hallway stuck out what looked like a black stick of some sort. It moved further into my view, and I soon saw that it was, indeed, a fly. A huge fly. It crawled down the hallway to meet me, taking up half of the space. It's body in width was almost the size of the hallway itself. I stood there in shock.
By Noelle W6 years ago in Psyche
Being on the edge of dreaming.
My life has been punctuated with little bite sized pieces of the ethereal intertwined with the real. Many of my experiences have been to me unexplainable by any field known to man. Science, psychology, religion and philosophy etc. all seem to me to be wanting, to be lacking that explanation, each of them wanting to claim my stories in their own light, ignoring each others influences collectively on my experience and prizing their own definition as the one true rendition of my experiences. Being a jack of all trades I don't like to side line myself down one path, because all are worthy to explore the possibilities of unlocking the psyche, cracking open my head like an egg, will it be scrambled or perfectly segregated yolk and albumen, only time will tell. Rather than looking at my life as being a microcosm I deign to try to utilise metaphysics to see it macrocosmically. As though I am the magnifying glass being looked at by the ant(s).
By Lahela Hickman6 years ago in Psyche
Let Mentally Ill People Have Their Feelings
I read Facebook article links all the time about what a mentally ill person should not be told whether they are having a good day or a bad day, but more importantly if they are having a bad day. I read things about bipolar disorder; I've experienced people kicking me around though. My schizoaffective is under control but when the receptionist at East Valley kicks me around if I'm less than peppy, to talk to my peer counselor, its like, okay, you are kicking me while I'm down, so I call my peer counselor directly now.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez6 years ago in Psyche
Expunged Life Orb Continuum
August 27th 1995 at 0630hrs, I was born; at 0645hrs I died; at 0710hrs, I was revived. I died two more times and subsequently revived in a time span of three days.
By John Neil6 years ago in Psyche
Health
When you say the word, “schizophrenic,” it automatically implies words like: dangerous, unstable, and stupid. I got diagnosed with paranoid schizophreniform last year, and I rarely talk about it because whenever I do, people tend to have a different view towards me.
By Elijah Taylor7 years ago in Psyche
Belief
Belief means something different to everyone. We all need someone or something to believe in, that keeps us fighting—waking up each day with a purpose. Most importantly, we need to be believed in. When people don't believe in our abilities, we tend to shut down. We isolate ourselves, lose hope, possibly even ourselves and abilities.
By Elijah Taylor7 years ago in Psyche
10 Books Written by Schizophrenics
Schizophrenia is not easily understood. However, there have been various books written by authors who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia have tried to portray their surreal experiences. Though words on a page will never translate the true struggle of mental illness, it is an outlet of expression and a form of storytelling. These books are a key to the minds of others, and it is a privilege for us to be able to read them.
By Morgan E. Westling7 years ago in Psyche
The 10 Best Books About Schizophrenia Ever Written
Dealing with mental illness is no easy task—particularly when it comes to schizophrenia, one of the most complicated disorders on the long list of diagnosable mental afflictions.
By Greg Bogart7 years ago in Psyche