I’ve written about his before briefly but I feel it’s worth sharing again. I remember I felt extreme shame. I felt so negatively about myself due to the fact that I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I felt like I was damaged goods and of no real worth. What was I doing with my life? I felt outside of the human race. I felt like I was not hadn’t amounted to much. I think you get the idea. But I learned that we can recovery from schizophrenia if we get good treatment that usually involves taking meds. Eventually, I found a good med and my life started coming together again. I learned of a job called Peer Support Specialist and after getting some training went to work. This job is so enlightening. I help others with their recovery process. I’ve come to the conclusion that we as human beings are on this planet to help one another. I no longer feel shame. I feel like I can turn this schizophrenia stuff into a positive by helping others. No more shame!
Toxic shame was a part of my life long before schizophrenia. When you grow up with people who make you feel like who you are is wrong, shame becomes a big part of your identity.
I’ve never had much shame about having SZ. To me it’s the same as being t-boned by someone who ran a stop sign. I was busy minding my own business and life broadsided me. I didn’t get much say over having it and I feel I have more than held up my end of things by recovering to the degree I have.
Hey Ducky! I bet you can recover in your own way. The recovery process involves learning as much as you can about schizophrenia. I was fortunate to find a good med that worked for me. I felt rather hopeless for years too! But I persevered like you can. Please have hope that research will find better treatments. Work helped me took once I was feeling up to it!
Please find a purpose and maintain hope!
I hear you logician! Changing our identity takes years. But it can happen in a positive way!
So happy for you shutterbug! Shame can be debilitating. But you didn’t have to experience that. I appreciate the t-bone analogy too!
Thanks @simpjeff1 the encouragement means a lot
Thank you for spreadig hope🌻.
I saw this Ted talk recently that shame is about identity, i am bad, while guilt is about what you did, i did something bad.