| 1955 |
|
Four years old.
Moved to Grove Road. (Mum's lived there ever since!)
|
| 1961 |
|
Pat, youngest of my
seven siblings, is born. Dad dies. |
| 1970 |
|
Diagnosed with
schizophrenia. Found out that I was artistic, and could
paint. |
| 1973 |
|
Started work as a
nursing auxiliary. |
| 1979 |
|
Got married.
|
| 1984 |
|
Got divorced.
|
| 1986 |
|
Trip to New York.
|
| 1992 |
|
Stopped nursing.
|
| 1994 |
|
Joined Mental
Health Action group. |
 I
was born in the 1950's - the eldest of seven children. Both
of my parents were doctors. I went into medicine too, and
worked for 19 years as a nurse in a unit specialising in spinal
injuries.
When my father died, I was ten. I think his death had a big
effect on my life and my illness. But it wasn't til I was
doing my 'A' levels that I first began to hear voices and
see things that weren't there. I was admitted to hospital
- and I've been on medication ever since.
I loved my nursing job, and people there were supportive to
me. I was always open about my illness. Sometimes I'd have
to take a break, but I always went back. I think the patients
there found it hopeful that someone with schizophrenia could
just get on with their job.
But I'm not working any more. I decided to get involved as
a volunteer with my local National Schizophrenia Fellowship
group, and I'm also a spokesperson for people with mental
health problems. I think I've had a really eventful and fulfilling
life so far.
Discrimination - my experience:
Two quick thoughts about discrimination. The first is
about the time I was diagnosed. I find it hard to believe
this, but the only way I found out the doctors had diagnosed
me with schizophrenia was because I managed to read it
upside down on my medical notes! No one had told me, and
finding out that way was very frightening. I felt very
alone. Very often you're not seen as a real person with
real feelings, just because you have mental health problems.
My second thought is about the media. Their coverage is
really one-sided. Schizophrenia only seems to exist in
the media whenever a violent crime takes place. Otherwise
we're the forgotten people and our stories are not told.
People believe what they read in the papers, so what journalists
write can have a real impact on the general public's view
of schizophrenia and other mental health problems. We
are never represented in a balanced way. It definitely
affects how people see me. I wish the media was less biased. |
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