How many schizos get to the point where they can say they have a normal life? If you are on this forum and would say you have a normal life, how do you do it? What are your coping methods/skills that let you handle the illness? What were your symptoms at your worst and what are your worst symptoms now? I’m looking to see if there is hope for people like us…
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I’m on disabilty and live with dad at 51 years of age but the last 20 years of my life have been great.
I wouldn’t say it’s normal but I live comfortably at the moment and enjoy my life. I don’t feel pressure to confrom to any standards and rate my living on what I do rather than others.
I’ve been coming here since the turn of the century and there’s many people who come through who live great lives or move onto them. I’ve found if you get rid of expectations you are never dissapointed. It’s just a saying but apply it to life and your doing ok.
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I have a halfway normal life. I work part time, take classes, live pretty independently, drive and own my car. I take care of business like grocery shopping, going to doctors appointments, doing laundry regularly, making phone calls; taking care of whatever comes up. Where I’m not normal is I don’t have any friends; but I’m friendly with people at work. I’m out in public a lot and try to get out of the house regularly even if it’s just going to the park and sitting in my car listening to the radio and sometimes taking a walk. I do a lot but I’m aware I’m not doing enough and I could be doing a lot more.
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I was diagnosed with psychosis, not sz. So idk if I count. At my worst, I was bedbound in terms of negative symptoms. At my psychosis worst, I thought the devil had possessed everyone including my family and I was destined for hell, it was disturbing as those closest to me were acting bizarre, ie., they were possesed.
That was 2016 and 2018 the psychosis.
Now in 2022, I finally have a full time job, no delusions no voices, losing the weight, do pilates, and hoping to make more friends. Atm I mostly know ppl with sz through a charity but not many normies.
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My sister says the same for dating. Don’t expect anything and u won’t be disappointed.
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I don’t have any secret to functioning; I guess if I had to describe my functioning I would say I rise to the occasion. If I have to do something, I do it. I keep my appointments; that’s just what I do. My sister had her birthday the other day so I took her out to lunch. It was just something that needed to be done and I happen to have a had good time. I guess I just put one foot in front of the other and take things as they come.
At my worst I was 19, psychotic and living in a group home for a year. I had no money, no job, no friends, no school, no car, no girlfriend. I had a tiny little room and I slept on a dirty mattress thrown on the floor. I spent my days taking walks or I did manage to go to a used bookstore and spend an hour or two looking at books. While I was there, there was a period of about three months where I just sat in an old chair in the backyard, spending hours at a time fighting for my sanity.
After that group home I was put in the hospital for 8 months. I was still psychotic and suffered even more. I spent my days walking around the outskirts of the premises or sleeping. It was just incredible suffering.
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Not sure if my life is normal, but I’m mostly enjoying it. I’m 53 now - have been diagnosed with SZ for almost 30 years. Married, have an adult kid, work full-time, have fun hobbies, etc. Doing all the things I was told I couldn’t. I was even told by doctors there wasn’t much hope for me. They were wrong.
I’m med compliant and also take advantage of any therapy that comes along.
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Normal life would be living like a hermit making art and enjoying it. Drink coffee, sleep normal, no symptoms, just live off the grid. Near total isolation. Going to the local store - knowing the shop owner would be cool. Be able to make good food. Listen to music hanging out with my dogs.
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That sounds like a good life. I wish i lived in the olden days. Id just venture out into no mans land and build myself a hut in the woods.
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There’s no such thing as a normal life, I think.
To be honest, I may have very little symptoms but I suffer from paranoid delusions due to my trauma (mainly abuse within family and within society). Also, I have a disability and I know that my disability will progress even further.
People think I’m so successful because I get good grades and I excel in certain subjects. But to be honest, no one really cares about the internal and external pain I feel.
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Yes.
Your life can be normal but you do have to do work for it.
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I would say at this point I am very normal. Not because I don’t have symptoms… just two weeks ago I was on the brink of a full blown psychotic break. I had to leave my job for about 2 weeks. When I decided to come back everyone was very understanding and supportive. I had to reveal my situation and my diagnosis and they accepted me back like nothing happened. I also am single and live alone the way I want. I’m much stronger than I was when I had my first psychotic break but really now I see my job not just as work but as a training for me to be better in my line of work. High functioning sz is a new normal for me. It doesn’t mean all symptoms have to be gone. One can be very productive even with severe symptoms. During my break I still kept busy with art stuff and hobbies.
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Don’t have a normal life, mostly due to persecution. People portray me as a character some ignorant lying lunatic created. People usually get symptoms of schizophrenia because other people are crazy, not because they are.
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