How one woman with schizophrenia went from being homeless over the holidays to getting her condition under control and leading a happy, stable life
This December, I celebrate thirteen years of recovery from schizophrenia. As I decorate my apartment for Christmas, send off cards, and buy gifts, I think back to my life outside, homeless in Los Angeles.
So how did I end up homeless and in jail and still refuse all help from my parents and from so many other families that would have been happy to help me rebuild my life? The only thing that could have caused me to fall so far was a brain that was “broken” by my illness and failing me. In 2007, a year later, my Thanksgiving and Christmas were difficult for very different reasons. I had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and for about ten months, had been taking a partially effective. I was able to live outside the hospital, but struggled to get through every day, as the side effects of my medication were severe, and the voices in my mind were still present.
Today, in 2021, as a mental health advocate, I enjoy reaching out to families who are torn apart by a loved one’s schizophrenia. I find comfort in volunteering to serve the homeless over Christmas and Thanksgiving. My church supports a program that helps the most mentally ill and desperate people, many who live under bridges, find housing in local hotels. I wish I had been able to accept this kind of help in 2006 while living in the churchyard.
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