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| When I was 34 years old, I
started to see and hear things that were not really true in my
life. I was convinced that these things were real though. I
heard voices from people in my past who I thought now hated me telling
me what to do, that I was now part of a telepathic "neural
net" and that they were praying against me and hurting me.
After six months of seeing and hearing things I finally asked my husband
to take me to the hospital because both of us knew something was
wrong. He says I was mad at him for taking me but I don't remember
that. I only know it was a good thing I went because only then was
I put on medication. I was told I had Chronic Paranoid
Schizophrenia and that what I was seeing and hearing was not real, it
was called hallucinations and delusions- I also had beliefs that were
not true which is what delusions means. When I got out of the
hospital I was pretty much okay as far as seeing and hearing
things. I didn't totally believe that what I experienced was
delusional but now I know it was. I know a lot more about
Schizophrenia than I used to know and also Psychosis which is when you
have hallucinations and delusions but there could be other reasons than
just Schizophrenia. My other doctor told me she doesn't believe I
have Schizophrenia because I am not disorganized in my thoughts.
However I think the medicine has helped me to regain my thoughts a lot
better than they were. I was never very disorganized so she may be
right. I am not sure which doctor is right but I do know both
believe I went through a severe Psychosis for 6 months.
I wanted to make this page so others with my problems could see what
it was like for me to suffer, and for people to learn about
Schizophrenia and Psychosis to have more compassion for the people who
suffer from it.
It is a medical problem which many times can be corrected by
medication. Not all people who take medication are helped however
which is tragic. Also some people don't like to take medication
because of the side effects, which include weight gain, and sometimes
movement disorders. Please feel free to explore the links below
about Schizophrenia and Psychosis to learn more. |
| People with Schizophrenia:
Famous People
Regular People :)
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- Places to take an online education. Some give
degrees, others are just for the experience.
Free-Ed-Free
education, no books, very professional. They have classes in
Business and Economics, Humanities, Career and Technology,
Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Computer Science, Medicine,
Education and Engineering, and Test Preparation. They also have a 2
year GED preparation class, and a whole college of IT (Information
Technology.)
ELearners-Huge
index of available classes, certificates and degrees available
online.
University
of Phoenix-Accredited University offering online/regular with
Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate and Professional
Certifications.
HP
Learning Center-Free classes in several subjects. Instructor
led.
The
Online Degree.com-comprehensive list of schools which offer
online degrees.
Genealogy.com-Classes
on genealogy
Universal
Class-Lots of classes, some give certificates, others are just
for fun and personal development.
- Working at home. I have been trying to
find legitimate work that I could do at home for almost 9 years.
So far I have not found any legitimate places except possibly this
place, Home Career Search.
I have applied for several jobs here but have not gotten any
response. This could be more to do with my lack of experience
than anything else. It costs as of this writing $29.95 to sign
up but the listings are continually updated which is the only site
of its kind to do so that I have seen.
Another option is to go through the State Rehabilitation Dept. which
can sometimes help you get a job at home.
- Volunteering. There are umpteen billion
places to volunteer, but one good way to find a place is online
volunteer match places.
Volunteermatch is a
great place to start for local opportunities in the US.
do-it.org.uk
is a good place to start in the United Kingdom, they have 64,000
opportunities.
Volunteer Canada
for opportunities in Canada.
Go Volunteer for
opportunities in Australia.
Volunteer
Abroad for opportunities in many different countries.
- How to get SSI/SSDI (Supplemental Security
Income/Social Security Disability Income). Also how to get
payments in the UK and Australia.
Go to your local Social Security office and pick up the forms or
call 1-800-772-1213 to get them mailed to you. NEW: you can
also apply online for benefits now. Fill out the forms
making sure you have documentation from a physician of your
disability. Make sure this documentation includes reasons why
you can't work, and the diagnosis, plus the diagnostic code numbers
for your diagnosis. TAKE COPIES of everything you submit to
the Social Security, as this will be your only record that you did
the forms. Have the forms stamped with the office number and
date when you submit them and have your copies stamped too. Be
paranoid :) Sometimes Social Security will try to stonewall
you, and deny your claim. You have the right to a
reconsideration and appeal but you have to do it within the time
they allot or you will lose your right. If you can't fill out
the forms you have the right to have someone help you fill them out.
The most important thing is the doctor's letter/records stating you
can't work and the diagnosis. Without this they may send you
to their own doctor who may find nothing wrong. I know I sound
jaded but I was denied social security for 2 years while I struggled
to fill out forms and was ill on top of it. Here are some good
websites for you to look at regarding SSI/SSDI:
Social Security Administration
website. Here you can apply for benefits, get information and
read up on all the regulations for SSI/SSDI.
Severe.net is an excellent
website with all kinds of resources about applying for benefits.
Has several different disease categories, unfortunately none on
schizophrenia, though you can still get help from them or ask about
schizophrenia.
MentalWellness.com
has a basic fact sheet on disability.
MarthaChurchill.com
has a sheet on proving you are disabled if you are mentally ill.
I don't agree that you have to have lived in a supportive home
environment for two years though. I think all the other
information is beneficial.
NAMI.org- Social
Security and Disability Benefits.
Social
Security Definitions and Terms- great site listing a glossary
for common disability terms. This site can help you win your
case more easily.
Schizophrenia.com-
how to complete an application for SSI/SSDI.
Applying
for Disability Living Allowance- UK
Department
for Work and Pensions- UK
Centrelink-
Australian Disability Payments.
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