Wow, so much to say. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia about 10 years ago after my first psychotic episode. My parents took me to a hospital in hopes that I would admit myself, but I was too far gone to even know where I was, let alone cooperate. They submitted a petition for court ordered evaluation, it was accepted, and I was taken by…
Wow, so much to say. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia about 10 years ago after my first psychotic episode. My parents took me to a hospital in hopes that I would admit myself, but I was too far gone to even know where I was, let alone cooperate. They submitted a petition for court ordered evaluation, it was accepted, and I was taken by police to a hospital against my will. This was an awful, but NECESSARY, experience for me. In the hospital I got the help I needed. I was released in about 4 weeks and court ordered to get treatment in the community, which I did. A ton has happened since then, but today I am stable on a single injection that I take every 6 months. I am able to run my own business in the pet care industry, make an income that is more than self-supporting, and live independently. That was possible "in the community," but only because I am completely compliant with my treatment plan and have always taken my medication.
It happened before my time, but I definitely think society threw the baby out with the bath water when they tore down state hospitals in the name of deinstitutionalization. If a seriously mentally ill person is not compliant with a treatment plan, they should not be left out in the community where they can cause harm. I'm writing my own Substack, partly because I DO want to reduce mental health stigma – but reducing stigma does not, and should not, require that we lie about the seriousness of mental illnesses like schizophrenia.
Anyway, more to say, but this comment is long enough already haha
Wow, so much to say. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia about 10 years ago after my first psychotic episode. My parents took me to a hospital in hopes that I would admit myself, but I was too far gone to even know where I was, let alone cooperate. They submitted a petition for court ordered evaluation, it was accepted, and I was taken by police to a hospital against my will. This was an awful, but NECESSARY, experience for me. In the hospital I got the help I needed. I was released in about 4 weeks and court ordered to get treatment in the community, which I did. A ton has happened since then, but today I am stable on a single injection that I take every 6 months. I am able to run my own business in the pet care industry, make an income that is more than self-supporting, and live independently. That was possible "in the community," but only because I am completely compliant with my treatment plan and have always taken my medication.
It happened before my time, but I definitely think society threw the baby out with the bath water when they tore down state hospitals in the name of deinstitutionalization. If a seriously mentally ill person is not compliant with a treatment plan, they should not be left out in the community where they can cause harm. I'm writing my own Substack, partly because I DO want to reduce mental health stigma – but reducing stigma does not, and should not, require that we lie about the seriousness of mental illnesses like schizophrenia.
Anyway, more to say, but this comment is long enough already haha
I’m glad to hear you’re doing so well.