I’m 21, so I’m still quite young, I’ve had this illness for 7 years now.
But are you guys able to live life individually/sustain?
I just don’t know honestly, I’m 21 and that seal of a normal life is, well actually has been cut out of my sight for a long time, but it’s coming to a head and as of now my life path is looking to most likely assistant living or living long stays in a mental institute.
So I’m just wondering, how has the capacity to lead a normal life been for you guys?
Because idk I’m just on the otherside of things and about it all, Idk how do we do it?
I’m just on the up and down, as of now the sight of it all is that I’m going to just be stored away. maybe there will be a change of hope down the path.
But please in this hell of schiz, tell me your guys you know life situation because you know we are all going through this and any and all could be understood. I’m just curious about the outlook of leading a normal life as a individual, and how others where or are at or still at when it comes to the picture of things?
Are you living with your parents or have been for a while?
Have you managed to get a education?
Do you own a house
Have a wife or husband, any social life
Do you have a job? Etc.
I’m just interested like I could understand any life situation, we all have a life disabling disorder.
Life is strange, things change no matter if you want them to or not, it’s true, nothing stays the same. That’s kind of the beauty of it too.
You may need assisted living for awhile, then find out you’d rather have more Independence and move on to a place of your own, or with a couple of roommates, you will know when it’s time to move on.
If someone had told me at 21 where I’d be in my life now at age 53, I’d have thought there was something wrong with them.
Nothing could have prepared me for my life today, it’s just something I’d have to discover once I started down that road of life. The first thing to do is to get out there and live your life however you need, then see what changes you need when the time feels right.
You’re only as “Normal” as you feel.
I’ve had paranoid schizophrenia since 1980 when I was 19. I had some very bad years at the beginning but I still did fun stuff like gong out to eat or doing other stuff. I had some very good years where I was still experiencing symptoms but I was very functional.
My best years happened after I got clean and sober. I had years where I was working steadily and going to school and going to six or seven AA meetings per week. I had a friend and went all over the place and had a lot of fun. I was very busy.
I lived independently for 20 years. Six of those years I lived by myself. I was (and still am) taking online classes. i have been driving since 1997. I’ve had a few friends and did lot with my family. I only have one friend now but we go out to eat or go out for coffee or check out various museums or displays at the nearby college university.
I’ve kind of tapered down my fun activities but that’s due to age and tiredness. I am currently working as a janitor. Its easy and pays well. I need three more classes for my degree. I have a beautiful car and I share a nice apartment with some guy my age. I rarely go day without going somewhere even if its simply just sitting at the park in my car listening to the radio and sipping a coke.