Hi everyone
I have been on Twitter today more than any other day, ever. And all my tweets have been on the same subject - read my memoir, read my book of poems, they are FREE today... On and on and on. I feel like the most self-serving, base creature imaginable. I even tweeted Stephen Fry directly!
Self-publicity is not easy. Although I suppose it could be done a lot more subtly.
The thing is, I do think my book is worth reading, and that it will help people. It is not unique, of course; there must be an awful lot of people who were diagnosed schizophrenic and who have gone on to lead a normal life. And I know a few of them have written about it. But I still believe in my book, and want it out there.
I also want to get on with writing more. I have done a bit of work recently on the new book, which is more specifically about recovery from mental illness, and am thinking about writing another 'How to' book. My grammar school one needs some editing too. It is nice to have a full agenda.
Saw my sister today, for the first time in six months. We had great fun - the new me is more relaxed and can laugh at jokes, rather than recoiling from them, and this particular sister is a laugh a minute.
Paul has finished painting our front room - poor thing, if I am all Tweeted out today, he is all painted out. I managed to take the dog and kids for a walk, but he has been hard at work all day with no respite.
I am going to take my girls swimming now, bless 'em. Back to school tomorrow - a good thing, and a bad thing, for all the obvious reasons. Roll on the next half term, for the chance it offers to spend more time with the kids, and as the next break from the routine.
All the best to you and yours
Louise x
Hi Louise,
ReplyDeleteI recently came across your book on my sister's kindle and although i haven't yet read it i decided to try and download it myself, unsuccessfully. But I'd be really interested to read it being a schizophrenia survivor myself. While in hospital last year i was told that i would probably be on medication for life. Now im med free for six weeks and my life has improved dramatically! I do question my diagnosis now, whether it was right or not but i do know that no matter my diagnosis im not going to let it hang over my head! I highly respect your courage at baring all so to speak and i hope that soon i will be able to be as open and honest as you are! You are an inspiration to schizophrenics everywhere both sufferers and survivors! I hope that i will be able to read your book soon!
Best wishes,
Kitkat x
Hi Kitkat
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely to hear from you. I am so glad that you are well and not dependent on medication. The diagnosis is not right, and I can say that without meeting you, because it is a spurious diagnosis of a non-existent illness. If you follow some of the links on this blog - for instance to 'Discover and Recover' 'Beyond Meds' and 'Holistic Recovery from Schizophrenia' as well as some of the other links on here (did you see the recent post which linked to the YouTube film of the young man who has recovered?) - and these will lead you to many more: you will see that this is a mainstream view nowadays.
I am sorry that you could not donwload the book - perhaps your sister would lend you her Kindle for a few hours one day - it shouldn't take you too long to read it. Alternatively, most of the story, in an abridged version, is in the very early posts of this blog.
Just a word of caution - I had three breakdowns, and I am keen that this should not happen to you. In Finland, under the Open Dialogue system, almost all people recover after their first episode of psychosis, because it is so effectively treated. I hope that you received such treatment - if not, keep searching it out. I was beset with nerves and anxiety - they were nervous breaddowns I suffered, literally. Age helps - you calm down a lot as you get older. I have recently been having CBT and seen huge improvements in these symptoms - my counsellor is excellent, and I trust her, which helps a lot.
Oh, and you really must look at Ron Unger's site (forgotten what it is called, but you should find it easily by Googling his name).
So glad to have heard from you, and thank you so much for your kind words - it is great to hear that I have been able to help.
All the best
Louise x
Hi again,
ReplyDeleteI must apologise for disagreeing with you but I do believe that schizophrenia exists. I went to a psychiatric rehab unit last year and everyone there had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. I don't believe we all had it but seeing some people there, they definitely had something wrong that wasn't getting better and the diagnosis seemed to be right... for some and only some. My "episode" as I like to call it lasted over 4 years and i really am appreciating quiet sounds again that i was never able to hear because of constant voices. I do believe that schizophrenia is over diagnosed but I do believe it exists... In some people. I believe i just had a psychotic episode, something that will never happen again. But I wish you all the best with your recovery, that it may be as permanent as mine will be! :-)
Kitkat x
Hi Kitkat
ReplyDeleteI don't know really...I am not a medical person, and can only speak from my own experience.
Obviously, serious mental illness exists - I've been there too, and you and I are both lucky to have survived to tell our tales. What bothers me about 'schizophrenia' is that there is no objective test, and a lot of different ideas about what it is.
What bothers me personally is that no medical person will agree that I am perfectly well now - whether or not I once had 'schizophrenia' I don't see why it should be a life sentence.
Like you, I have seen people who are very poorly and who show no signs of recovery - it is very sad. To have been ill for 4 years must have been awful - my epsiodes were short-lived and I was quite well in between, although very nervous as I have said already.
Don't worry about disagreeing with me - there is room for a lot of different views in the world, and friendly discussion and debate can only broaden the mind.
Louise x