When I was homeless, I regularly entered an abandoned building and slept there during the night. I considered the building’s unlocked side door to be miraculous provision from God because my thinking was confused due to mental illness. Sneaking into an open side door made more sense to me than asking for help from anyone. […]
Archives for March 2016
The Dream of the Homeless
As of the time I am writing this, March 2016, I have been recovered from schizophrenia and healthy for over eight years. But every night, when I look out my bedroom window, I remember what it feels like to sleep outside on the ground in a dirty sleeping bag, homeless, and affected by untreated schizophrenia. […]
Schizophrenia, the Hospital and St. Patrick’s Day
When I was first locked inside a mental hospital, I felt the stigma of schizophrenia. Because of the stigma, I was convinced that my diagnosis had to be incorrect. Beginning the new process of involuntary commitment to the hospital made me feel like an insulted professional. But during all three of my hospitalizations, the physicians […]
The Wedding
During the most difficult months of my recovery from schizophrenia, a friend from my childhood married. Although we had been close as children, I had not seen her for years, and was not present at her wedding. But I saw pictures of my friend in her white satin gown, dancing. She appeared joyful and excited […]
