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This is my advice, bred from personal experience for beating mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. I hope you find it interesting.
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Hello and Welcome,
I initially wrote this document to compliment a course I was creating for
my start up Scizm. Since I shut that down
I am offering it for free now to aid as many people as possible. I have also started a blog: Scizm.blogspot.co.uk
My advice is bred from personal experience, so as a disclaimer you should always seek medical advice if you think
you have schizophrenia, this is not meant to be a replacement and there are no guarantees, merely it is to add to your
tools of recovery.
I am using google drive which also includes a free 6000 word ebook on spirituality,
please feel free to download that as well! If you want me to continue working on this kind of thing I am accepting donations at: http://gogetfunding.com/project/scizm-
fundingIf you have schizophrenia then this
information is for you. The techniques we will learn today will help you beat your
illness, or at least manage it more effectively. Some of what I will say is
contentious but I am merely talking from my own experience of what worked for me to achieve the level of health I have now (a million times better then what I used to be) and the many people I have
met who also suffer different conditions. I hope you find this informative and
enlightening!
So lets jump straight in, first I will talk about ways to beat mental illness which are not specific to an individual illness but are in fact universal to all the
types of mental illness you may have. The next few pages are helpful to many different mental
disorders.
HopeThe number one thing you can never give up is hope! It is a very dangerous thing to lose and
without it, getting better is far more difficult. Take comfort in stories like my own, I am a million times better then I used to be, well enough to even set up Scizm and start making a difference! Having hope
will also ensure you are safer from yourself and who knows, tomorrow you could see a marked
improvement. Search for mental illness success stories on Google, these uplifting stories are plentiful
and empowering.
MedicationTake your medication! It is so helpful as it is more
than likely that you have a chemical imbalance in your brain which causes the outlandish experiences, feelings or thoughts and will counteract these by, primarily, blocking your dopamine receptors. I
found medication creates stability in my mind over time, making me less prone to delusional thinking. Take it religiously and a few months down the line
you should begin to see improvements.
ActivityTo distract yourself from the experiences or nightmares make sure your day has much
structured activity, so make plans to do things. This can be as simple as reading a book, surfing the
internet, learning an instrument, going out for a meal, going to the cinema, watching television or any of the other 'normal' things that people do.
Fake It To Make ItBy acting normal and getting on with normal
activities you will begin to see a change inside yourself towards wellbeing. This means faking
smilies, saying that everything is fine and generally trying to eliminate abnormal behaviours. There are many people out there who would benefit from this
and I have heard of this approach working for sufferers. By saying everything is fine, you make that statement and begin to believe it yourself. If you repeated the statement “everything is fine” over and over again, even though the world was
ending (literally) inside your head you would begin to believe it. This is what I had to do to survive
hearing God being tortured, apart from breaking down into tears! Obviously tell your therapist and CPN what is really going on and your family, but
over the years start faking it to them, it really will help in the long run. It's called 'putting on a brave
face', I have been doing it for years.
CryLet out some of that bile that’s inside, all that
sadness and hatred or any negative emotion that has built up inside you needs to be released. This is
an extremely important step, the chemicals associated with stress come out in your tears and I have learned how to fling out the bile at break neck speeds. Next time you want to cry, let it take you over and fully release your sadness of the world, to
the world.
ExerciseOne of my favourite ways to cope with mental
illness and life in general, exercise releases endorphins which will combat your illnesses negative
traits.
Think PositiveI know this can be really hard, but is one of the only
things that kept me going through the constant
waking nightmares, my schizophrenia threw at me. Think positively and you will get positive people and circumstances in your life, like attracts like and so thinking negatively attracts negative things. Don't worry though, positive thinking is a million times
more powerful then negative thinking, one powerful thought of “I AM LOVE!” (I am statements are very powerful) will attract much more then the hours of negative meanderings we are prone too, try it now!
It is down to you to reprogram yourself through positive affirmations and good life choices to bring an end to your illness, and usher in the good life
which follows.
Healthy EatingNot so much limited to just us mental illness
sufferers but still produces a massive boost to our wellbeing, which is the name of the game. I eat
celery and fast once a week and it really produces results, I feel great and I know this is the boost vegetables give us. Plus this will counteract the
weight gain, so common in mentally afflicted lives,
due to the side effects of many antipsychotic medications.
JournallingWrite about your experiences in a private journal. A gratitude list can be very helpful, list all the things you are grateful for in your life (the roof over your head, the food, water, family) anything. You can
talk about hopes and dreams, your current feelings, anything you like!
HobbiesTaking up a hobby will help a lot, I am a huge
advocate of guitar, it helped me no end and now I have a useful skill! It can be kite flying, boating,
fishing, bowling, chess, book reviewing, writing, a musical instrument of any kind, just get good at
something while you have this time on your hands. They also can be turned into careers, years from now as it is your passions that you are advised to
turn into businesses!
Friends and familyThe support from friends and family is a huge one,
they can be really helpful as a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and if they're super nice will cook you a nice meal and even lend you money when you are broke! Plus the advice can be great and it will boost you a lot to be around someone who actually
cares.
TherapyI found therapy sessions to be most useful, we used some CBT techniques and talked through my many
symptoms and issues over a number of weeks. A professional knows an awful lot about mental illness and are generally caring and kind when treating you. They have seen it all so there's no need to
worry about opening up, they will help you to the best of their ability, which is considerable.
RewardsNever forget to offer yourself rewards such as nice
food, fine clothes, those shoes you want, that katana which would look awesome on the
mantelpiece etc. anything that you can give yourself a pat on the back with and say 'well done me, you deserve this!'. Rewards are very important to get you through the illness, say to yourself 'I will buy
that tablet computer (hopefully from Scizm) once I have achieved my goal of....' and think of something you want to achieve, this will help you to achieve it
for obvious reasons.
Connect With Fellow SufferersThe internet is a great place to meet other sufferers
and read about inspiring stories of survival and victory over these illnesses. You can also make
lifelong friends, find very helpful advice and feel a part of a community of survivors.
Know That You Are Not Alone!This is important, knowing that there are millions
like you with exactly the same illness and symptoms can be a huge comfort. Why not buy our Smiley
Mug, which includes the slogan, you are not alone! This will help us further our work to help sufferers but also raise awareness of mental health issues,
reminding you that you are not alone in this process.
Quit SmokingThis was the best choice I ever made in my life and I feel so much better for it. I also have much more
money and no longer have those nagging shadows in the back of my consciousness, telling me I'm going to die a slow and painful death. This is the worst part of smoking, those shadows but I also have
other reasons why you MUST quit. I can't tell you how much it increases your physical health but also the mental health is further healed after the initial period of wanting a smoke badly. There was a crazy
person living in my head, fuelled by the want of nicotine which disappeared a few days after I kicked
it. People say it relieves stress but it is my experience that it actually increases stress initially and then relieves the stress it creates, not even
touching life stresses at all. I have been clean for a year and a half now (well one birthday cigar if I am
being honest) and never felt better. DO IT!
Lack of AlcoholI have found that alcohol fuels my symptoms in a
very tangible way. I am very much trying to quit at the moment, cutting down loads and would suggest
that it really is bad for our mental healths. I am sure I don't need to tell you the other risks inherent
with taking it but I would definitely recommend cutting down if you are a heavy drinker as the
moments of sobriety allow your mind to heal. Plus beer kills brain cells and we need our brain cells!
Staying Off DrugsThis is a big one, they can be very dangerous to anyone but those prone to mental illness can be hugely hurt just by a simple one like cannabis. It
might be tempting, maybe you were even triggered early like I was by cannabis, but you must resist the
temptation to 'have a good time', knowing that there is a possibility that hell awaits should your
resolve falter.
LearningLearn as much as you can about everything, the
internet provides the sum total of human knowledge, or close to it. Try different courses,
there is every kind of course available to you right now!
TimeTime heals all wounds, as some wise man once said and this certainly applies to mental illness. Just give
it time. If you take the above steps then it will
happen faster, but you must give steps such as medication months before you see a difference. It
can then take years for your brain to rebuild itself, but if you remember that you have to take out the old rubbish that’s in there from trauma and put in new positive life affirming experiences to replace
them then you will see a massive improvement. Us mentally unwell individuals have the potential to be more well then the average person on our quest for well mental health. You might find yourself getting 'too well' and noticing the madness that is around
you, that governs the world. This is a good sign, and one that I am sure, once you are a balanced,
rational human being will lead you to want to and go out and change the world!
Divine AssistanceI have to admit this one was THE BIGGEST factor in my getting better, God (for there is a God) has helped me out of my constant waking nightmares and into the light! When I say God I really mean
Higher Intelligence of myself and all of humanity and all of the universe, basically the sum total of all. Pure, living conscious love is another way to describe Her and, if you haven't asked for help from Her in
awhile I urge you to try now. They cannot intervene until you ask, so please, try it. What can it hurt to
request, 'help me to heal God, please send your healing Angel Raphael to help me through my
illness.' They're waiting for you to make contact.... All you must do is:
Ask!
Ok so hopefully this is a good wake up call for you to now implement some of these techniques and ideas into your daily life. If you are truly serious
about getting better then you need to try some of these things.
Next I am going to talk about how specifically schizophrenia can be dealt with.
Firstly, if you are hearing voices then my heart goes out to you, I know how hard that is but would like to say again: You are not alone! One technique I found to be extremely helpful is meditation. This does not mean silencing the mind, it means being the ever present watcher of your thoughts and taking time out to relax, get in your body and
cultivate awareness of yourself.
It is really difficult with schizophrenia, I heard voices for years, well a voice, that constantly badgered
me, sounding like the ghost of a dark sorcerer and was always trying to send me to hell! Having visions of the place made this a very scary time, but I am
now free of voices and have been for years. I did this via two secrets, which I will share with you now.
Secret number one
I was and still am on Risperidone and Abilify. These two medications, coupled together, made a good
platform of stability for my head to rest. Abilify is a
type three medication, the only one currently on the market and is actually capable of sniffing out
which receptors in your brain need turning off and on!
Risperidone is only a type two, meaning it is older but is still effective, for me anyway, in creating
stability. Take it at night, if the doctor allows as it can be very sleep inducing and the Abilify in the
morning as this one keeps you awake! This means it will be easier in the evenings to get to sleep but easier in the mornings to wake up and should be fine with your doctor, I have been doing this for a
number of years. That is secret number one.
Secret Number Two.
Talk to your voices, kindly and compassionately. Ask them, why they want to hurt you, if they do, what
they feel their purpose in life is, how they are feeling, what they would like to be called, what
troubles them so etc. Tell him or her that you care about them (for they are an extension of you and
self love is so important), love them even (this is hard but saying it will take you one step closer to healing), that you want what's best for them and
would never hurt them. It will become easier to feel these things just by thinking or saying these
statements out loud, even if you actually feel like taking an axe to their face (this was what I wanted to do to the ghost of a dark sourceror or possibly alien Artificial Intelligence that had invaded my
mind after awhile) and hurting them with all the hatred you have for this super annoying thing inside you. As it turned out this was a voice in my head, so I was just self hating, even if at the time it felt
like an outward entity.
Top tip: Chin up and love, love, love!
So that is dealing with voices, but there are many, many other symptoms of schizophrenia that you
need to address. Voices are usually linked to trauma, possibly in childhood but other symptoms, such as delusions or lack of emotion are due to a
chemical imbalance inside your brain. We are just wired that way!
To counteract this rather unfortunate set of circumstances, self-awareness is exceptionally
important. Meditation will increase this much, but it is also possible to cultivate it through other
means, such as staring at the night sky! I found that seeing the vastness of space increases our
awareness of ourselves as the tiny specks of matter that we are. Also being in the presence of the sun
as this entity is so grand in comparison to ourselves.
Us schizophrenia sufferers can be amazingly creative with our story telling, artistry or musical
expression. We find very interesting ways to connect seemingly unconnectable situations and events,
something which I would define as hugely creative. A conversation springs to mind that my parents
were having and I was listening to. I thought every word, every sentence was about me and was
relating it all to the idea they were dark sorcerers. Very, very creatively my mind did this for every
word. Luckily, by then I had enough self-awareness to know that this was in fact mental illness,
noticing this and watching with avid interest to see what my mind's paranoia could conjure up next!
Due to cultivating the ever present watcher that we all have in our minds, I was able to treat myself as a kind of study in paranoia and creativity, from an outward perspective. Their are many guides on how to practice Mindful Meditation, search on Google or
wait for my course on that also!
Delusions
To beat delusions, such as thinking that you have the ability to read minds, find a close friend or
trusted family member and test your theories out on them, explicitly explaining what you are
currently experiencing and believing. They will probably be shocked and worried, (this just shows they care) but do not be deterred, after a short
time they will calm down and help you explore your ideas. Do not hesitate to do this if you are
experiencing things that are 'out of the ordinary'.
Lack of emotion.
This can effect anyone who has an illness, even physical ones and is something I have had to deal with for a long time. It can be hard for the person in question who loves you, when you tell them that
you feel nothing for them, so I would suggest keeping it to yourself and not hurting their feelings. I almost never advocate lying but in this instance I would say that it is a good idea. Tell them you love them, for deep down you do, you infact love them enough to become their son or daughter, parent or sibling and make it convincing. It is hard enough on them that you are ill for years, make it easier on
them with this simple lie. Do not feel ashamed; it is a symptom, you wouldn’t feel guilty for breaking a
leg would you?
Get a therapist and talk through your traumas, hopes, dreams, desires and feelings you may find that some of the emotion comes back. If not then
view yourself as a prime candidate for high integration with the machines of the future, for lack
of emotion will be a big part of tanshuman experience. This is of course if they haven't found a
way round this! You can look at yourself as a biological machine, cool as a cucumber, who needs
those pesky, irrational things called feelings anyway? They only cloud your judgement and force rash decisions out of people, why not be governed
by rational, machinelike thinking. Make the best of a bad situation by looking on the bright side like the above thinking, which is exactly what I thought when I noticed almost no emotion whatsoever.
Paranoia
This one is really tough, I remember experiencing the blackest terror, words being completely
inadequate to describe this sensation. If you are smoking cannabis then STOP this is the cause of it!
It took me ages to realize that it was this drug which was causing my symptoms, which by then
had got much worse and it took me years of
abstinence from cannabis to get my head back to normal. If you are having trouble quitting it there is plenty of support available online or in your local
community.
If you have never tried cannabis then I know it can still be really bad and is linked with delusional
thinking that people are out to get you. A way to get through it is therapy as it is almost certainly past trauma or deep sadness, manifesting as fear. You can try going for quite walks or talking with
those that love you, who will reassure you that it is in your mind.
But whatever you do, stay off drugs!
Suicide
Grit is another way to cope, meaning determination that you can and will survive this life (pun intended)
and you will do so with pride and dignity, with a single minded intent that few well people can
match. Tell yourself that you will never end your
life, that this is the ultimate way to give up and fail, that your friends and family would be
devastated and that you are stronger then that. I know that this is the only way we can fail (though
technically we never can, due to the infinite chances given to us by the Divine), that then we have to
start all over again and suffer for all the pain our selfish action of suicide caused, as well as the rest of
our Karmic debt all over again!
Didn't you ever wonder why you are still here? Why all those suicide attempts failed or why your life was just the right level of difficulty for you to be
tested, at times unbearably, but still come through? It is because it needs to be just the right level so
that it is not too hard for you just to end it all, but not too easy so that your karmic debt doesn’t get
paid. You may disagree, but I absolutely know there is a God and Angels and many other wondrous
expressions of holy divinity, walking the earth right now and helping us all in our lives. As I previously mentioned, but will go into more detail later on (I may very well make a course entitled Spirituality;
The e-Learning Solution later) these entities are extreme helpful when your in a tough spot and will improve your life if asked! They cannot intervene
until you do. And really, what do you have to lose?
Think of how far you have come to just get here today, if you can come this far you can go all the way! Life is such a precious thing and we are so
special to be on this Earth at such a crucial time it is mind boggling. Taking your own life is the saddest thing that can happen to you and although there is no hell, it is immensely harder on you, please trust
me on this! Good things are right around the corner, hell and heaven both existing here on Earth
as a state of mind.
Hallucinations
There are many different varieties of hallucinations, and they can be very distracting from our lives. I
was once eating dinner with a friend who also had schizophrenia and when I asked him what was
wrong, he pointed to a corner and said “her”. This
really brought home to me how lucky I was not to see actual people, that my visual hallucinations
were, although bad, very limited. Of course this was balanced by some truly appalling auditory
hallucinations which happened almost every night for years involving the screaming of very loud
horrific torture, involving many people. I am sure you have many a story to tell about your
hallucinations also.
To come through them is a huge achievement, give yourself a huge hug and pat on the back for coming this far. To deal with them requires determination, positive thinking and ambition. Try and see them as
an illness, although it might be difficult to differentiate between the real world and the
hallucinations, so you must tell someone about them to check.
Stress
Stress can be a big trigger and danger point for you
as it is proven to raise the symptoms of schizophrenia, making them worse very quickly. Unfortunately, the symptoms themselves can be
very distressing and so cause a self fulfilling downward spiral. To counteract this, try and relax when things aren't too bad, so mindfulness and nice music. This will create the mindset of relaxation for
when things get worse and make it easier to get back to that peaceful place. Take a holiday or go on
a retreat while you can to help your mind stay grounded.
Medication Side Effects
There are too many of these to list here but I really put this here to make sure you don't let that put you off. If you are suffering any of the symptoms I
have mentioned then medication will help, it is proven to help. Do not be deterred by the initial
weight gain or drowsiness, there are ways to combat these effects and medications that don't
even cause them, such as the pre mentioned Abilify. Talk to your doctor about changing now, the Abilify
wakes me up in the mornings while the Risperidone puts me to sleep, its a winning combination!
Remember: relapse is most commonly caused by not taking your medication!
Lack of Libido
This is very common so do not be alarmed if for awhile your sex drive is hampered or gone entirely. It might be a very lonely place but I guarantee you are not alone and that a partner is just around the
corner, one who understands that this is a symptom. Their is also, *wink* *wink* Viagra type
drugs which can be purchased from your local chemist. Now that’s a fun trip into town! But
seriously, don't worry about it, their will be plenty of time for sexual experience once you are on the road to recovery and feeling better in yourself, it
will come back!
Visions
I had many visions, some very scary, others
incomprehensibly random that I couldn’t make heads of tails of them. This led to very confusing times, I tried to make sense and interpret the
abstract nature of what my head produced, but failed considerably due to them being nothing more then products of a mind gone haywire on drugs.
To deal with visions, firstly tell yourself it is mental illness. See them as a product of your mind,
hopefully with the self awareness of meditation helping you and the guidance of your Guardian
Angel by your side. If you can, distract yourself with a book or film, but whatever you do, don't try to
make sense of them, it will lead you down the pathways of madness. This is because they are such a powerful experience, but so random that, when you try and find meaning in them you will become
further entrenched in delusions and this is a nightmare. Trust me! 'Interpreting' the visions led me to some wild conclusions which lasted for years
after the experiences.
Hopelessness
You may feel like there is no hope, but this is a common reaction to an illness as serious as
schizophrenia. It may feel like a life sentence but this couldn't be further from the case, with the
right steps followed and the right mind set anything can be achieved. I once read about a little girl with the illness, seeing blood coming down the walls and people in here room. Now that is terrifying! She is
now happily married and shows little signs of symptoms! Think about how strong she must be
now to have come through years of hallucinations at such a young age.
So that's what I can offer you on symptoms specific to schizophrenia. I chose this format so that it will stick in your head as much as possible, using bright
colours and punchy wording.
Having come through six years of the illness, including very intense mental anguish and suffering
I have much to offer those who are still going through it, now that I have achieved a million
percentage increase in health. Although this can be primarily attributed to the fact that it was almost certainly drug induced schizophrenia, so by staying away from drugs over the last few years, my brain has been given time to heal, it is also most of these
things that I have listed.
I am writing this blog to help people like me and you with advice to survive mental illness, but it has to come from you, there is no cure except for our
own personal and spiritual growth, which is of course what an illness like this is all about. View it in such a light and it seems a little less scary, a challenge to endure and overcome, a way of life even, that differs from the 'normal' paths people take so completely we are akin more to the Gods then the mortals (Aristotle said something along these lines about madness, a most empowering
speech which I would suggest you look up). Sounds too grandiose? My head generated Satan, God,
angels, demons, the screaming and roaring of hell, the peace of heaven, the voice of a black god or
sorcerer or Artificial Intelligence in league with the dark forces, white sorcerers and a good and evil
persona inside me all battling at once for my soul! If that sounds too grandiose then it is not, for mere words can never describe what that was like, awe
inspiring, terrifying and humbling it was the quintessential times of my life, the makings of me as a man and life itself unfolding before my very eyes.
The craziness that is inside my brain produces creativity like no other and I revel in how special
this all makes me feel. I take the positive symptoms and leave the negative ones.
You can too....
Finally I would like to talk, briefly, about the Divine.
You have a Guardian Angel that helps you
constantly throughout your life. Ask for help often and it is granted. God exists and is the
'sum of all things'. Wholesome and loving, kind and wise, beyond all conceptions of the words, our beloved creator is our most humble and brilliant benefactor. He loved us all so much,
that he put a tiny part of himself in each and every one of us, that which we call the soul.
This Divine spark is our most prized possession as it offers eternal life across creation and
makes us all the incarnation of God in physical form. He feels all our pain, all our love, all our peace, all our anger and every thing else. How do you think he got that awesome after all?
Spiritual development is the sole reason we are here. This works out very well for the good
people among us, like you, who suffer considerably at the hands of their subconscious.
It means that you will be rewarded in the
afterlife no end for the extra miles you have walked. Valued hugely you should be very
proud of yourself. Here is an extract from my book Spirituality Secrets:
• God exists and we are all one with Her at all times
• Angels exist, with billions of them here on earth and near infinite individual forms of there beings in Heaven, combining to make an Infinite Force of Angelic brilliance.
• Reincarnation is a process we have gone through many times over as humans
• The force of Karma exists and blesses and punishes, from the tiniest of transgression or kindnesses to the largest of crimes and acts of benevolence
• The place this force operates from is one of absolute truth and wholesome knowledge, based in love and is from the highest ideals
of humanity.• There is no such thing as hell• Original sin does not exist and neither does
- in the ultimate sense - any sin.• The Divine wants to express itself in all its
glory so this universe, and many others exist to allow it to do just that which is why the myriad of incarnations on this planet exist, let alone a universe with close to infinite suns and planets.
• There are many messengers on earth at the moment, including myself which I will list later as some of their books are very, very good.
• We are eternal beings on an eternal journey, living this life so we may express ourselves as fully fledged Divine creators and recreate ourselves anew in the next (this life) greatest and grandest vision we ever had about ourselves. Ever.
• Infinite universes exist. I am very interested by quantum physics and read many books on its' different aspects. Take this knowledge to mean that this Higher Intelligence encompasses all these different parts of us (we all have close to infinite if not infinite doppelgängers) and all these different dimensions so it is pretty much the most amazing, wise and kind being it is possible to create.
• This being is increasing itself through us every second we live.
• We are taking thought to new places, standing every second we live on the edge of creation, staring in to the abyss.
• Divine guidance is accessible to all of us, all we must do is Ask!
• We have all been given a Guardian Angel from our birth who is with us every second of our lives till our deaths, offering us
protection and love throughout.• This is our go to guy, the angelic force we
can ask to bring us whatever we desire, although one way we are able to chart our spiritual development is by the things we ask for.
• Spiritual development is our sole purpose for living this life, being judged on lessons learned, such as acts of compassion or the art of patience.
• To make our eternal existence easier for our lives can be exceedingly difficult, spending time learning these lessons is important and will shorten the time it takes for all of us to reach the same level.
• This level is Mastery, attained by Jesus, the Buddha and many others, the beautiful fact being that it is available to all of us and is our race's destiny for every individual to achieve and share.
• This is the grand design, the state we are all moving to.
Guidance
My advice is to ask for help often and talk to God about absolutely everything. They cannot
intervene in your life, due to the gift of freedom of choice, until you ask. Most likely He
will send more Angels, His messengers and they will influence you from another level of existence, very close to ours. There are Arch Angels, Guardian Angels, Teacher Angels, Prophet Angels, an Angel of Strength, an Angel of Hope, an Angel of Children and
many, many more types. So if you are in need of any of this then it is important to first ask your guardian Angel to get the Angel of Hope, rather then asking the Angel of Hope directly. This simple step will improve your communion
with them a lot.
There is lots more from this book on my blog!
I will leave you now, dear fellow schizophrenics; Be safe in the knowledge that you have achieved a huge and incredible thing just to get this far with such a
burden and know that you are complete and perfect in this moment.
Extend this kindness I give you now with all life.
I will leave you with a quote from Winston Churchill,
“Never, never, never, never, give up!!”