Hi,
I have schizophrenia. My illness was diagnosed in 2005. It has been an intense journey after that. Now I have stopped taking medications for the past five or six months and its going fine. I am male,28 from India.
Here are some things that can help you to be healthy, happy and productive again.
1. Sleep - This is THE most important thing. You should sleep for seven-eight hours at night. This is easy for people without any mental illness but extremely difficult for people with the illness. (I have always struggled with this)
2. Exercise - This is also extremely important. You can do any exercise everyday that you enjoy.The key is doing around three to four times every day. (What helped me was walking for 1 hr for four days(1 hr every day) every week and it took me six months to get back in shape)
3. Diet - You must eat a balanced diet. (What helped me was staying away from outside food. I usually ate home cooked food. Eating fruits and vegetables will surely help. Also I ate in moderate amount.)
4. Having a hobby - Having a hobby is also crucial if one wants to survive in the world named schizophrenia or any mental illness(I write short stories, poems. I also draw. I am not good at these things but I do them because I enjoy doing that)
5. Being optimistic - If you believe that you will get better then you will definitely get better. It will just take time to heal.(I believed that often and I am on the right track)
Also taking care of your hygiene like brushing teeth, taking a shower etc. are also important.
There was a period, for a long time when I was unable to walk properly or even use my hands to hold food/pen/anything properly. I was also not able to distinguish the real world from my fantasy.I could not watch TV because I thought that all the things that were shown in the screen was related to me. It was intense. It was a real mess. I even ran away from my house and I was returned home after three days. I was without food, water, shoes, money,my spectacles and even clothes for three days in the public.It was intense to the maximum level. Of course, I have experienced delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, paranoia and everything else related to this illness and they were often intense.
Well, I have completed MBA with a good grade from one of the best colleges of my city. I have a few close friends.They are very active and are highly successful. I am also in a relationship for three yrs(My girl is an HR of a company. She is extremely beautiful and looks like a model). My dad is the most amazing and the most hard working person I have known. My mom passed away in 2008 due to liver cancer.
I had applied to do P.H.D in three different universities but I was rejected(There are no more institute for higher education in my city). Presently I have got a job offer in an ice cream company as a Marketing Manager and my joining is on Friday this week.(I had worked in January/February in another company as a creative writer for a month)
So, do not believe the myth that if you have schizophrenia or any other mental illness then you cannot be functional. Do not trust this notion which says that if you have this illness then you cannot have a social life or hold onto a job or be in a relationship. After all these sayings are bullshit.
I am the living example of experiencing full blown schizophrenia at its extreme and coming out of the world of schizophrenia. I am now healthy, have a job, have friends and also a girlfriend.I struggle with issues of sleep(always had this problem) but nothing major other than that. I am doing fine without any medication.
So if an average guy like me can lead a content life then you can also do the same and be much better at tackling mental illness.
Feel free to share your thought on this. Let us all heal together.
I have schizophrenia. My illness was diagnosed in 2005. It has been an intense journey after that. Now I have stopped taking medications for the past five or six months and its going fine. I am male,28 from India.
Here are some things that can help you to be healthy, happy and productive again.
1. Sleep - This is THE most important thing. You should sleep for seven-eight hours at night. This is easy for people without any mental illness but extremely difficult for people with the illness. (I have always struggled with this)
2. Exercise - This is also extremely important. You can do any exercise everyday that you enjoy.The key is doing around three to four times every day. (What helped me was walking for 1 hr for four days(1 hr every day) every week and it took me six months to get back in shape)
3. Diet - You must eat a balanced diet. (What helped me was staying away from outside food. I usually ate home cooked food. Eating fruits and vegetables will surely help. Also I ate in moderate amount.)
4. Having a hobby - Having a hobby is also crucial if one wants to survive in the world named schizophrenia or any mental illness(I write short stories, poems. I also draw. I am not good at these things but I do them because I enjoy doing that)
5. Being optimistic - If you believe that you will get better then you will definitely get better. It will just take time to heal.(I believed that often and I am on the right track)
Also taking care of your hygiene like brushing teeth, taking a shower etc. are also important.
There was a period, for a long time when I was unable to walk properly or even use my hands to hold food/pen/anything properly. I was also not able to distinguish the real world from my fantasy.I could not watch TV because I thought that all the things that were shown in the screen was related to me. It was intense. It was a real mess. I even ran away from my house and I was returned home after three days. I was without food, water, shoes, money,my spectacles and even clothes for three days in the public.It was intense to the maximum level. Of course, I have experienced delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, paranoia and everything else related to this illness and they were often intense.
Well, I have completed MBA with a good grade from one of the best colleges of my city. I have a few close friends.They are very active and are highly successful. I am also in a relationship for three yrs(My girl is an HR of a company. She is extremely beautiful and looks like a model). My dad is the most amazing and the most hard working person I have known. My mom passed away in 2008 due to liver cancer.
I had applied to do P.H.D in three different universities but I was rejected(There are no more institute for higher education in my city). Presently I have got a job offer in an ice cream company as a Marketing Manager and my joining is on Friday this week.(I had worked in January/February in another company as a creative writer for a month)
So, do not believe the myth that if you have schizophrenia or any other mental illness then you cannot be functional. Do not trust this notion which says that if you have this illness then you cannot have a social life or hold onto a job or be in a relationship. After all these sayings are bullshit.
I am the living example of experiencing full blown schizophrenia at its extreme and coming out of the world of schizophrenia. I am now healthy, have a job, have friends and also a girlfriend.I struggle with issues of sleep(always had this problem) but nothing major other than that. I am doing fine without any medication.
So if an average guy like me can lead a content life then you can also do the same and be much better at tackling mental illness.
Feel free to share your thought on this. Let us all heal together.