Not a bad 8 days!

So I've not had a bad few days with my writing!  So far I've had three posts published on Charity websites, a fourth post referenced on social media websites and today I've found out that one thing I've written is being featured in SANE's newsletter and another thing I've written is being featured in a magazine!!!  The first post was published on the SANE website on the 14th (only 8 days ago!) and can be found here:

What's it like to have schizophrenia?

I was asked this question in a Direct Message on Twitter a few days ago.  It's not very easy trying to explain it in 140 characters so I thought for their benefit I would write a blog post to describe it.  Although it was written for this person, it may be useful for anyone else who knows someone with schizophrenia as it may help them understand the sufferer better.

All You Need is... Twitter

I’m sure if all four members of the ‘Fab Four’ were alive today, they wouldn’t mind me altering one of their iconic songs to make my point!  I have found music to be a great help to me in the past and whilst I was in hospital, I would quite often listen to music to try and get away from my situation.  With regards to The Beatles, my all-time favourite feel good song by them has got to be ‘Hey Jude’ and I have found one of the lines to have a myriad of meanings:

Screaming To Be Heard

This is my second post for SANE and I decided to make it an article that described the events leading up to my diagnosis in a bit more detail and the treatment I received for my illness.

From Schizophrenic to SANE

For those of you who read my blog regularly you’ll be wondering about the blog title! You’ll know my views on the Schizophrenia diagnosis and how it is impossible to be officially recovered from Schizophrenia - the best you can hope for is a psychiatrist to admit a misdiagnosis or to be forever in ‘Remission’. So why am I using the word SANE?

Article for Mind's Blog

For any of you who don't know, Mind (the Mental Health Charity) do a blog on their website where they ask for submissions from anyone who has experiences with Mental Health issues whether it be professional experiences or personal.  I decided to write an article for them but am waiting on a response to see if they're even looking for submissions at the moment.  I only emailed them on Friday night and I don't think they work weekends so I'm not expecting a response until tomorrow or Tuesday.

[insert witty blog title here]

Since the fiasco with BT, I am finally able to blog on my laptop which I infinitely prefer over blogging on my mobile phone!  Not only is the 3g service on my mobile very temperamental but I have a Touch Screen phone which has a tiny QWERTY keyboard on the screen - it's not very easy to type on!  But I have broadband at last and I'm thoroughly enjoying being able to use my laptop and iPod properly again not to mention being able to feel secure at night with a working phone line!

How I helped myself

Bit of perspective needed:
I'd spent the year in hospital on a Section 3 and had now spent 2 months on my third Section 3 in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit.  It was a couple of weeks before Christmas and the Psychiatrist at the Unit told me that if things didn't improve for me, I would probably be sent back to hospital and potentially the locked ward after Christmas.  My self-destructive attitude was fighting this and refusing to believe him and essentially not doing anything to help myself.

My permanent side effects of Anti-Psychotic Drugs

I'm in a predicament.  One of my permanent side effects - akathisia (AKA Restless Leg Syndrome) - from when I had to take Anti-Psychotics is really bugging me at the moment!  A medication I used to take when in hospital was Procyclidine did help, but I'm wary of asking for it again.  Before I took Anti-Psychotics, I used to have restless legs because of anxiety, but it wasn't akathisia - my legs were restless but it didn't hurt to keep still.  Now I wake up in the night in pain if my legs don't keep moving when I sleep.  Thankfully, the majority of the time my subconscious keeps my legs moving so I don't wake up often.  But moving 24/7 whilst coming off Sertraline (which by itself is making me tired) is exhausting.  When I'm tired I get stressed and stress makes akathisia worse!!!  It's a vicious cycle!

Putting things into perspective

I went into the bookshop/cafe where I used to volunteer this afternoon for a cake (they do amazing home made cakes!) and had a nice chat with the manager couple.  It was nice going back, I don't think I've been back there since I had to leave and I really do miss the Wednesday afternoon shift when I used to volunteer there.

Twitter

Have taken the plunge... I HAVE A TWITTER ACCOUNT!!!!

Follow me:
@SchizophrenicGB

I have no idea how to use Twitter to be honest, but I will do my best to figure it out!  I will probably use Twitter more than Blogger now as I usually have little to say on a daily basis!

Taking the easy way out... as usual!

A few months ago, after being advised to write down my experiences with my illness etc, I have 'finished'.  I use inverted commas here because as is the usual with me, I took short cuts and the easy way out.  I abbreviated my story heavily and because I couldn't motivate myself to write it properly, I decided to convert my writing into a video.  I haven't decided yet whether or not to put it onto YouTube but I think I probably will, only keeping my identity as secret as I do on this blog.  Someone who knows my experiences with 'schizophrenia' will probably know it's me straight away but I don't think anyone I know personally who doesn't know about my illness will be able to identify me from it.