i was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and realized that was a reason why i had been having much trouble as of late. my experience with gatherings has shown to me im not the only one in the family! i had a spychotic breakdown at my mothers house shortly after the ocala regional gathering last year and the police had to come and stick me in a hospital. i think it was just the mental and physical stress from travelling and living in the woods that caused my symptoms to manifest themselves. i dont blame my family for this, it just seems people r quicker to judge and have a lack of will to compromise. i just wanted to know if there were somebody else around here that has a similar condition and maybe wants to talk about their own issues and bad experiences.
You're in good company, many artists have been diagnosed with schizophrenia including Roky Erikson from the 13th Floor Elevators. Me, I'm basically the kitchen mental counselor & I try to help folks talk things out so they don't have melt-downs during or after Gatherings...yes, the stress from traveling & Gathering can cause unseen symptoms to mainfest; so can lack of good nutrition or experimenting with herbs or chemicals. We knew a sis who had a total break-down at MO'96, she was fine before the Gathering, and fine several months after, but during that Gathering, she started having problems first from lack of sleep, and later from herbs that she believed she was using to heal herself. Some folks didn't understand what was happening with her mental status & weren't very helpful but those of us who did know wound up arranging for her to be taken to the hospital once it was determined that no one on-site had the capability to help her at Home. There are a lot of people who are drawn to Gatherings that have mental health issues, often undiagnosed & I'm happy to see someone like you starting discussions so that more people will learn to be understanding & will help other Fam get help if they need it.
Hippiestead, That is great advice and information. I worked nearly 20 years as a therapist at a state mental hospital and every once in awhile we'd get someone in from a gathering. The idea of maintaining excellent health, nutrituion and sleep patterns is important for all of us. For someone with a mental illiness it's Super Important. Any kind of stress, good or bad can cause breakthrough symptoms even for someone who is on a well managed treatment program. Most people on the street don't really understand the complexities of mental illness and don't know anything about the treatmant necessary to manage it. There is the myth that all shrinks and counselors are trying to control peoples lives. Not true. The whole idea is give the person back control over their own lives. Wootier, you sound like you really got your shit together with the understanding you're talked about. Take care, good luck and have fun. Steve
thanks steve, ive been trying really hard to understand these issues... i may even go into the field of social work to better help people like myself. i know some friends of mine r really struggling with this kind of stuff and the whole psychiatric sytem right now is so bad and anti-productive. i would love to be able to learn some stuff that i can really put to use at calm
Social Work is a really cool field, I got my MSW years ago and then took the test to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The job oportunities are good, pay is decent and you really get to get involved with people and their situations. I kinda like it better than psycholgy because theres a different philosophy between the two fields. Social work takes a broader look at the person and their life situation. Anyway, good luck with your choice of study...theres always more room for folks who want to help out. Steve
Wootier, in one way at least, you've got luck on your side: Your diagnosis came early in life. Even today, it's amazing how long many people go without coming to terms with major mental health issues. Bipolar disorder's very common in my family, & I'm only learning that in my early '30s because so few people were willing to talk about any kind of mental illness openly, & still aren't. And you're right -- despite all the progress psychiatry & medicine have made over the past few decades, mental illness is still a huge taboo for a lot of people, & an easy way to make snap judgments about people who are the least bit different. One thing I think I've learned, though, is that a whole lot of the people who can't deal with mental illness can't deal with it because it's too close to them (they have a mental illness, or close relatives do, etc.). But knowing what you know at 19 is an advantage there, as it gives you that much longer to learn how to deal with people who don't understand.
hey man you can use that to your advantage, a good bro of mine was diagnosed some years ago and now hes livin of free government money, and hes sucking the bastards dry for everything they can give him. skitzo can be used im positive ways too, evryones different youll find your nitch.
hell yah, i get payed every month starting last month, plus mad back money for wen they were jerking me around and trying not to pay me... yah, i can actually pay my rent now instead of hiding from the landlord
