Just like everything else

I guess that just like everything else in life, illnesses come with their pro's and con's. Although you can look at the negative side a lot of times, and there are a lot of things that stink about haveing schizophrenia, there are also a few things that wouldn't be quite as great about someone, had they not had the mental illness to start with. For instance, although it's not fun having paraniod delusions, overstimulation, hearing voices, etc; these things also mean that I excel in some other areas of my life, such as my musicality, writing ability, and intelectual prowess. In other words, even though my social skills suffer as a direct result of my illness, I have some other areas where the schizophrenia actually heightens the experience.

Those that think that we choose to live in a constant state of dismay are those that are too stupid, or ignorant, or unwilling to understand the fact that mental illness is real. It is a biological and chronic disease of the brain, just as Cancer affects the body. If people tell you that you have a choice to feel this way or not to, just dismiss them and go on your way, because, as mentioned above, they are ignorant. They just do not understand the gravity of the disorder. If you were to tell someone that they shouldn't choose to have diabetes, that would just be ignorant too. I will not stop until the stigma of mental illness has been shifted into one of understanding.

Chimney Rock

By the time we got to the top of Chimney Rock in Asheville, North Carolina, I had all but forgotten about my fear of heights and at 2,300 ft much less my mental illness. The fact that I was exercising and all the while enjoying myself and I was able to have fun despite my challenges. I face my demons head on most of the time, just muscling them through the pain psychologically speaking. It is, though, a beautiful life.