IDK. People are probably sick of hearing my story. I’m 59 and got diagnosed when I was 19. The first 2 1/2 years I spent in a group home than 8 months in the hospital. I went through hell and suffered constantly those first couple years.
I got out of the hospital and moved into another group home and 9 months later I became employed. I stayed employed at the job four years and I have worked almost steadily since.
I spent most of the eighties in hospitals or mental health housing. But I have had cars and I started college in 1983. Drove up there myself and enrolled and registered for a couple classes. I had huge time gaps in my education. Right now I need 3 more classes for my degree and I am on a waitlist right now for the class I want.
IDK. I’ve had friends, I’ve dated, I’ve partied. Worked my ass off sometimes. Traveled just a little and done too many things to list here.
I moved out on my own in 1995 and lived independently for 20 years until my mom died in 2015 which sent me into a tailspin and ended me up in the hospital after staying out for 25 years.
I’ve done all kinds of miscellaneous stuff. I used to regularly attend church , I’ve been to over a 1000 AA, CA and NA meetings. I used to drive 200 miles up to see my dad than drive 200 miles back.
I had some very busy productive years though now I’ve slowed down. My disease has always been with me obviously but i still did a bunch of fun stuff. Right now, the mental health agency that got me this apartment is also where I see my shrink and therapist. I’m pretty much on my own though a counselor visits for an hour every three weeks. I’ve been at my current janitor job for 7 years.
I was near death 4 years ago. Bed bound with a lethal feeling headache, along with SZ. ER and neurologist could do nothing. I healed myself with various third party treatments.
Now SZ isn’t my biggest problem anymore, it’s my energy levels and my arthritis. My head feels very decent.
I was diagnosed at 12 years old which has had a significant impact on my life and my identity.
A few years after I left the hospital, as a teenager, I used to say that “I was a schizophrenic” not wanting to acknowledge that just because the auditory hallucinations were gone, didn’t mean that I wasn’t still a person with this illness. Because of the heavy stigma of this illness, I stigmatized myself and others who have it.
Now 16 years later, I’ve had 3 hospital stays in my 20s (in addition to another one at 13 years old, a year after my initial hospital stay) and I’ve finally acknowledged that this will forever be a part of my life. I finally understand that the medication has to be a permanent part of my life or I will get psychotic symptoms again.
But it’s not been all bad. I’ve been able to go to high school and graduate even after the school board in my city said that I shouldn’t be able to go to a regular high school since my illness was so severe. Because of my perseverance and innate belief in my worthiness and value at a young age, I proved them wrong and even got on the honour roll a few times. I’ve also been to university although I haven’t graduated yet.
I feel that I have lost the belief in myself that I’ve had at a young age, at least to that degree, but I’ve been trying to get it back. My last hospital stay this past November opened my eyes finally and fully to the reality of my illness. It also opened my eyes to the unhealthy coping mechanisms I used to deal with my loneliness like speaking to strangers online and not forming real life connections, procrastination, and a lack of self care among other things.
Although I don’t have any big accomplishments and I don’t feel that I’ve fully realized my potential yet, I feel that I am a success story and what’s most important for me is that I have hope and look forward to my days again.
I hope everyone on this forum finds their version of happiness and I also recommend the Ted Talk by Elyn Saks as well as the movie A Beautiful Mind about John Nash which I see someone mentioned already.
No, 32 isn’t old at all. I finished an Associate’s of Art degree when I was 50. Mainly for personal satisfaction as I dropped out of college and went to work when I was 19. I didn’t come down with SzA until I was 30. I worked for a life insurance company at first, then a bank later. I didn’t think I would get a job because I failed at college. In my case I went to an employment agency, but that was back in the old days.
Hi @Chester_Navarro .
I think you can count me as a success story.
I am not super successful, but my situation has improved significatly after onset of schizophrenia
compared to what it was in my childhood and adolescence years,and it can be counted as a huge
success because the trajectory of life that is typical for schizophrenics is that after the onset
of schizophrenia their situation worsens and they become helpless invalids.
For me, I am now more independent than I was in my childhood and adolescence years.
My capacity to take care of myself has improved, in particular I started to do stuff like shaving my beard, taking showers and brushing and flossing my teeth which I never did before.
I also eat healthier than ever before and strictly control my diet.
Cognitively my situation has also improved somewhat.
I now do aerobic exercise on exercise machines I have at home, and I plan to start strength training as
well.
I don’t know if I can hold down a job, but my chances of holding a job are better than they were in the past.
I have given up on trying to find a female partner because I am impotent.
Hello @Chester_Navarro .
I don’t know the exact reason, but I do know that erectile function is strongly correlated with
overall physical fitness, stuff like aerobic endurance, muscle strength and circulation,
all of which are not very good in my case.
It may have to do with the fact that my baseline physical condition is not very good.
( This is not due to APs as I have managed to avoid these).
Thank you! In the hospital a doctor told me that joining a support group could be helpful. I haven’t found any in my city yet but I’m glad I found this forum.
