Articles

Stress is a major trigger for schizophrenia among other health conditions. It can create flare-ups and lead to the resurfacing of symptoms. As you know, schizophrenia can incorporate a magnitude...

I was introduced to peer support through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). My mother and I attended an education meeting for families, caregivers, and peers. I learned that...

Some of my favorite memories of my mother are of her smoking. She seemed to take great pleasure from her cigarettes, something that was tragically rare in a life of...

First, in a crisis, call the 988 hotline or the police. However, for non-emergency mental health concerns, I contact my doctor. This is based on my years' of experience in...

For a long time, I figured that I could just go about my life like a "normal" person and that I'd have the same energy levels as my fellow humans...

For the last 18 years, I've worked with my treatment team to control symptoms. For me, maintaining wellness looks like a steady routine of consistently keeping doctor appointments, participating in...

As someone living with schizophrenia who has enthusiastically advocated for my community for years, I often find myself caught in the crossfire of scientific debate: Is schizophrenia a mental illness...

When a loved one is given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, it's understandable that we may have frightening notions about what lies ahead. Most of us have absorbed bias and misinformation...

I really dislike when people call me "high functioning." What does that even mean? Where, or in what capacity, do I function better than others? Because I work full-time in...

"What's going on, Ashley?" my supervisor asked. "It's time for me to go. I'm putting in my 2 weeks notice," I replied. "Did someone upset you?" she asked. "Nobody did...

I am lucky enough to say that my family was and is a huge part of my support system. Without them, I don't think that I could have successfully navigated...

Living with schizophrenia can be challenging, but advocating for yourself and others can be healing and make a significant difference. As someone navigating the complexities of this mental health condition...

In my advocacy work as a person whose loved one has schizophrenia, I try to focus on the positive – but that doesn't mean I don't have bad days. Caring...

Most of us know that social media can harm our mental health if we spend too much time scrolling. One of the things it is natural to do but which...

For over 3 years, my doctor and I tweaked my medications. I thought my primary concern was the depression. However, my diagnosis is schizoaffective disorder that is schizophrenia coupled with...

Living with schizophrenia can often feel like navigating through a world filled with misconceptions and stigma. If your experience is anything like mine, you frequently find yourself at odds with...

Nowadays, employers with small staff are not required to provide health insurance, and independent contractors are just that – independent of the employer. State agencies are great at finding ways...

I recently ran into someone who, frankly, is not my favorite person. Everything they say and do gets under my skin, and in the past I've responded with passive aggression...

Some of us may actually work in the field of mental health as either peer supporters or in another another capacity using our lived experience of a diagnosis of schizophrenia...

More than half of people with schizophrenia will have a relapse within 4 years of their first episode. During a relapse, symptoms that were in remission come back or get...