Taking on Goliath (And Winning)

 Teach them to be self aware Schizophrenia Bulletin, Volume 39, Issue 3, Published 01 November 2012 https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbs126 Several Schizophrenics think that their voices and delusions are true. I have been on my medications for years now, and even I have to tell myself that I am not that popular. You probably think that sounds simple enough. If I don’t do that I do my best to ignore them.  I believe that most schizophrenics do hear positive voices in their head. I thought I could hear the voice of God, and it was God who told me to refer myself to mental health at Fort Irwin California. I also thought it was a voice of God who told me that I will get the help I needed in my second stay in the psyche ward. Believe it or not I think it was that voice that helped me to be self aware to question what I was feeling or in some cases ask if something was really going on. I sometimes hear negative voices too. They can be insulting and they can tell me to kill myself...

 Never Mind... I Have Car Insurance Schizophrenia Bulletin, Volume 46, Issue 2 Published 28 November 2018 https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sby174  I had a full time job at an Italian restaurant, and I was flunking out of college. I was just in a relationship that ended badly, and I thought the friends of my former girlfriend were spreading rumors about me. When I was by myself or walking to my job, I often heard mean voices calling me a loser and other bad things. I had stopped going to class because the voices in my head coming from two people or a crowd were making me feel inadequate and alienated. I thought they were making fun of me, for whatever reason.  I know now it was the start of a break down.  The only thing that was going good for me was that I had good loyal friends that would do whatever I asked them to do. They would listen to me, but they did not have the help that I needed.  As I tried to reach out to them, I know now that some of my behavior ...

 The Lifestyle Change When I was in my twenties and early thirties, I enjoyed drinking alcohol with my friends. It wiped away my inhibitions, and I felt invincible. I understand why some might enjoy alcoholic beverages, but when you consume as  I did--five or six times a week and several beers at a time, drinking alcohol becomes unhealthy, not to mention expensive. When I was drinking I was not trying to escape life or running from anything, I just liked the way it made me feel. A cigarette and a beer was all I needed to relax, and I did that with a very regular frequency! I remember one particular Friday night I decided to count how many beers I drank that day and evening.  I bought a twelve pack of beer from the grocery store which I drank throughout the day.  After that I went to a nearby bar and had seven more beers. Yes, that's nineteen beers in a twenty-four hour period.  Clearly I had a serious problem.  I could not have just one beer and stop....