Just wanted to write a short account of my experience with mental illness.
When I was a kid I had behavioral problems, acting out and crying a lot until puberty.
At puberty was involved in delinquency and had problems at school. School councilor told me to remember she said I was ‘disorganized’. I went to a psychology clinic and had psychometric testing and counselling at 16.
At 17 I had first psychosis. It was a solipsistic delusion. I was the center of attention but was completely withdrawn.
Became a little strange after that, but graduated highschool. Went to university and was unable to function properly, and had a psychosis around final exams first year. Was hospitalized for the first time. Refused treatment and was eventually released.
About a year later was hospitalized again several times. Did not want to take medication, and ultimately didn’t.
Became homeless for a couple years.
Started working again and living at group home. Several years of good functioning followed but had lots of bad social incidents as I attended college and university. Nearly graduated from university, but psychosis and cannabis and alcohol use derailed those efforts.
Returned home and tried and failed at working and training etc. with mental instability, and eventually moved back to the town I was going to university. Eventually became homeless there and got involved with a health team to get disability. They were aggressive about meds and I took some, became worse than ever when I stopped, and eventually started taking them consistently.
Stopped taking them a couple years ago due to side-effects and relapsed a year ago ending up in hospital.
That’s basically the entire memoir without specific details.