My journey through schizophrenia and homelessness | Bethany Yeiser | TEDxCincinnati

March 3, 2007 was the worst day I could have ever imagined. This is the day the police arrested me and took me for evaluation to a psychiatric ward. I was so sure I wasn't mentally ill, how could I be? He had studied biochemistry. at the University of Southern California I played the violin at an advanced level I was an ordinary person how could I have

schizophrenia

when my doctor told me I had

schizophrenia

it was embarrassing and insulting and I didn't believe it was true that was a terrible day but when I look at all the days of my life this is the day I am most grateful for that terrible day I would start treatment I would get my life back and move on from the church I was living in As a dirty homeless person, I had a happy, normal childhood and a great relationship with my parents.

My dream school was the University of Southern California. I went there in 1999 on a scholarship to study biochemistry and molecular biology. At first he was an outstanding student, but after three years. For years there was a steady decline in my ability to concentrate and schizophrenia struck like a thief. My fourth year of college robbed me of my ability to study. Suddenly, my best efforts produced failing grades and my heart was like ice. I didn't want to have anything to do with my love. family or friends a few months later I abruptly moved out of the dorm refusing help my parents were desperate they contacted my church my friends my teachers I was paranoid with irrational fear and had delusions which are fixed false beliefs I truly believed there would be the next prophet to appear in 2,000 years since the time of Christ.

He had traveled to China and Africa. He truly believed that one day he would send hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the developing world. I was worried that my friends, my family, and my family would do it. prevents me from making this contribution you look back and think when the normal becomes abnormal when a commitment becomes an obsession for three years I hid I hid in libraries and classrooms I eventually spent every night on the floor of a public bathroom my fourth year Without home I started living outside in a cemetery and that's when the hallucinations started.

There was a chorus of voices inside my mind that insulted me and commented on my every action. One thing. I looked in the mirror at my reflection, but it was transformed, so it looked like the character Lisa and the show The Simpsons. One day reporters from the LA Times newspaper came to do a story about my life and my descent into the streets and I looked for the article. but there was no article. I had lost touch of what I imagined to know what. It was real and as the days went by living outside I waited.

I really believed that one day a helicopter would land near the cemetery where I was sleeping and take me to my new life as the next Mother Teresa and as a prophet and as I waited four months for that helicopter my hygiene deteriorated. collapsed I had become a dirty home a stranger and you would think that this dirty stranger I had become wandering around the university area looking for garbage to eat you would think that she would never make a contribution or maybe even follow through and when I They diagnosed schizophrenia and told me I was totally and permanently disabled but that was not the end.

I spent 12 months trying five different medications and yes, I really felt hopeless, but I finally started seeing a new doctor. His name was Henry Nasrallah dr. nasrallah was the first doctor i met who was willing to fight for my life dr. nasrallah had prescribed and used infrequently a medication called clozapine after three months and clozapine, my hallucinations had virtually disappeared and after a year my parents, doctor nasrallah, and I were discussing my transfer to the University of Cincinnati and In 2011 I graduated from UC with my molecular biology. Bachelor It truly felt like a miracle and gave me renewed confidence in 2014 I published my memoir The Mind is Strange, my

journey

from schizophrenia and

homelessness

to recovery and in 2016, dr. nasrallah and I joined forces to establish the curas foundation, a comprehensive understanding through research and education on cures for schizophrenia, providing education on cutting-edge and underutilized medications, like my clozapine, which has kept me in complete remission for eleven years without relapses, we offer hope.

We highlight stories of what we call survivors of schizophrenia. These are people who are thriving not just stabilized but thriving despite the diagnosis of schizophrenia and we encourage doctors to be more proactive in striving for the highest level of recovery possible for their patients just as dr. don't Rolla fought for my life we ​​have seen so many recovery stories especially about clozapine schizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood diseases in the world it is a physical disease of the brain like Alzheimer's Parkinson's and stroke but it is more treatable In fact, it is a physical disease like arthritis. diabetes and cancer affect one in a hundred of us there is no shame in taking medication for any illness I have some limitations I don't drive and I can't work full time and yes my schizophrenia is a life condition but I do it No I see my schizophrenia as a life sentence thanks to the work of the curas foundation I hope to see many more success stories like mine thanks