I have a healthy sense of what is real. I haven’t always been able to effectively discern what is real from what is illusion. I haven’t always been able to discern real sound from audible hallucination’s. I take prescribed medication every day helping me to focus only on what is real and and hear only real sounds.
My mental health became a concern when I was 27 years old, 21 years ago. It became a major concern to me and my family and my friends and the people who care for me.
I was diagnosed as bi-polar, then diagnosed as schizoaffective, then diagnosed as schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is considered by Psychiatrists and Psychologists as a diagnosis that lasts for life.
Taking my prescribed medication every day greatly reduces my symptoms of schizophrenia.
I live a normal life because I take my prescribed medication every day. I know when I feel comfortable around someone and I keep a safe distance from people and places that are not safe.
At 48 years old leaving my home every day and walking in my neighborhood does not feel like a risk. The neighborhood I live in feels safe day and night.
There is always a risk in driving. My car is registered to me and I am insured to drive it. The registration is up to date and the car is in stable working condition. I always keep a copy of the registration, my current insurance and current drivers license with me in my car when I drive. I always wear my seat belt buckled when I drive. I always make sure passengers are wearing the seat belts buckled when I drive. I only drive when I’m sober. I don’t get drunk. If I’ve been drinking I don’t drive. If I’ve been drinking I’ll stay home or wait until I am sober to drive. Driving is a large responsibility I don’t take lightly.
Since getting my Oregon drivers license in 2021 I have 0 speeding tickets.
I know how to navigate Medford and Rogue Valley reasonably. I use hands free GPS often when I drive somewhere I haven’t driven to before.
People with schizophrenia most often have a negative reputation when they don’t take medication regularly prescribed to them. A person who is schizophrenic and is not regularly taking prescribed medication for their diagnosis often hears and sees things that are not there and are not real. Their ability to communicate effectively deteriorates the longer they have gone without taking prescribed medication. A person with schizophrenia who is not taking prescribed medication regularly to treat their diagnosis may be a danger to themselves and to others.
A person never know’s who they’ll encounter when in Public. If they are going to a store they can reasonably assume they’ll encounter a salesperson or a person working at a cash register when they go to make a purchase.
On the way to go shopping in a store whether walking or driving, often many people in Public mind there own business. That’s not always what happens. Some people are a problem in Public. Whether they are drunk or high or a nuisance or perhaps in need of medication for their health they might not be pleasant to be near or to approach. It’s not always obvious when a person is safe to be around.
People who yell and scream in public at thin air are probably experiencing a mental health problem. They may just be having a bad day. Either way these are people to avoid and to call the police if you think they are a harm to themselves or to others.
Calling the police to report an unsafe person or a crime is the best way to respond in those situations. Don’t get close to a person who is creating a problem for themselves or others. Keep a safe distance and report the person or persons to the police.
You are doing your community a favor by being proactive reporting a problem to the proper authority.
I believe there are more people doing good. Making their community a better place. It doesn’t change the fact that there are serious problems in society, crimes are committed. Some people are in a bad mood and take it out on others. Believing in the goodness of humanity doesn’t stop homelessness. It doesn’t feed hungry people. And believing in the goodness of humanity is a choice I make every day. It gives me hope and feels better.
If you have been attacked you have every right to defend yourself and feel terrible.
Being an optimist doesn’t make sense for everyone. Many people identify more as a realist and many people identify more as a pessimist or as a skeptic. Each of these character traits are valued and important. One is not best.
At home I tend to be optimistic. When I leave home I’m often feeling optimistic. It doesn’t mean that a difficult day doesn’t happen. Lessons can be learned from a difficult day. On a difficult day doing what’s most important is often enough. Wait until you’re feeling better to take on more challenges.
It doesn’t mean that when I meet someone for the first time I might be skeptical about what they say. It doesn’t mean that I might be pessimistic about a person depending on how they are acting. Meeting people who are new to me is an opportunity to put my best foot forward, keep my eyes open, listen and talk.
It might sound cliche and it is true, every day is a new day. The mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open. That doesn’t mean you have to go parachuting to enjoy living and have an open mind in the environment you are in.
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