(photo/courtesy of author)
By Chanette Smith
“People who have schizophrenia feel different and forgotten,” says Chanette Smith.
Growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a coloured suburb in a lower-class home, was a battle and limited me. I was unhappy in my adolescence, being raised by a single parent. Finding self-acceptance was a problem. Living with schizophrenia was a struggle. Having no income to invest in myself and keeping a good reputation socially was hard. I found myself deteriorating, where I had no direction and focus in life, which wasted a lot of years. I lost interest in taking care of myself.
Visit after visit to hospitals and doctors, trying to find the preferred treatment, took its ups and downs. I had to come to terms with my schizophrenia, as medication doesn’t always cure you. And I needed to find a coping mechanism in a change of lifestyle. There was a lot of confusion, and I had to organise myself properly, leaving no time for anything else.
People who have schizophrenia feel different and forgotten, leaving us alienated where we become estranged to our surroundings and lose touch with reality. While success is on everyone’s mind, it is far-fetched. Believing that anything is possible is not on the agenda. It takes time to look past your disability.
she feels a lack of concern and support
There is a worrying matter in the clinics related to poor treatment of information and lack of concern for our well-being with no instructive awareness, leaving us to self-research. Having no support or back-up is a cautious matter that is likely to bring about trouble when you are dependent on meds, and your priorities are not in set.
It makes you wonder, since schizophrenia is a body function, why you become so suicidal. We become spiritual when we try to find its origin. It’s unknown and misunderstood.
Author’s Bi0
Chanette Smith is 38 years old and from South Africa. She works as a Call Centre Consultant for a private school. She is single without kids. Contact her at chanettesmith2@gmail.com
