Video Transcription
Coping with a schizo-affective disorder
My psychiatrist calls it adaptation. I would define this as the period in your life when you go through a significant change and come to terms with it. For me, this was being diagnosed with a serious mental illness called schizoaffective disorder, and let’s just say that adaptation became my whole life.
One of the main things I would experience would be definitely hallucinations—tactile ones, which is feeling bugs crawling over my skin; visual ones, including seeing bugs and interesting things like men with axes; and auditory ones, which are just negative, derogatory voices.
I had actually been treated for depression, anxiety, and OCD for a few years before the other symptoms began to appear. It took me a while before I was brave enough to tell my doctor because I was scared about what would happen. We trialed my first antipsychotic, but it didn’t really work. Then we tried a few more, and I ended up in the hospital because things were just sort of spinning out of control.
Going on medication is an important decision, and I know a lot of young people worry about it, but sometimes you just need it to help you out. It doesn’t mean you’re going to be on it for the rest of your life.
I have a lot of great friends, a lot of great nurses, and my doctor was good. My family were very loving, and they were very patient with me. I had friends who would take me out of the hospital to see a movie or have dinner or something, which was really nice of them.
Steps that I take these days to maintain my well-being include seeing my psychiatrist regularly, and I have a fantastic psychologist who I see now once a fortnight. I also talk a lot to my friends; I’m a lot more open with them, and I know a lot of breathing skills and grounding techniques that really help me get through some tough times with lots of anxiety.
Don’t be too scared. You know, it’s not the end of the world, and it is okay to ask for help, because nobody’s going to judge you or say that you’re insane. It’s very safe, and I know it’s scary, but I really do recommend that people do at least start talking to a friend and maybe use Kids Helpline and then maybe talk to a parent or a doctor.
I can’t stress enough how important it is, and I know it’s hard, but sometimes you just have to be brave.
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