My journey through schizophrenia and homelessness | Bethany Yeiser | TEDxCincinnati

[Music] March 3rd 2007 it was the worst day I could have ever imagined this is the day when I was picked up by police and taken for evaluation in a psych ward I was so sure I was not mentally ill how could I be I'd studied biochemistry at the University of Southern California I played the violin in 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 in all the days of my life this is the day that I am the most grateful for because of that terrible day I would begin treatment I would reclaim my life and I would move on from the church on where I was living 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 scholarship to study biochemistry and molecular biology I was an A student at first but over three years there was a steady decline in my ability to focus and schizophrenia struck like a thief my fourth year of college robbing me of my ability to study suddenly my best efforts produced failing grades and my heart was like ice I wanted nothing to do with my loving family or friends a few months later I abruptly moved out of the dormitory rejecting help my parents were frantic they contacted my church my friends my professors I was paranoid with irrational fear and I was having delusions which are fixed false beliefs I really believed I would be the next prophet to appear in 2,000 years since the time of Christ I had traveled to China and Africa I really believed that someday I would send hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the developing world I was worried that my friends and family and family would stop me from making this contribution you look back and you think when does normal become abnormal when does a commitment become an obsession for three years I hid I hid in libraries and lounges eventually I spent every night in the floor of a public bathroom my fourth year homeless I started living outside in a churchyard and this is when the hallucinations began there was a chorus of voices inside my mind insulting me commenting on my every action one thing I looked in the mirror at my reflection but it was morph so it looked like the character Lisa and the show The Simpsons one day newspaper reporters came from the LA Times to do a story about my life and my descent into homelessness and I looked for the article but there was no article I had lost touch of what was imagined to know what was real and as the days went by living outside I waited I really believed that one day a helicopter would come land near the churchyard 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 plummeted I had become a dirty home a stranger and you would think you would think that this dirty stranger I had become wandering around the university area looking for garbage to eat you would think she would never make a contribution or perhaps not even move on and when I was diagnosed with schizophrenia I was told I was permanently and totally disabled but that was not the end I spent 12 months trying five different medications and yes it did really feel hopeless but finally I began 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 infrequently used medication called clozapine after three months and clozapine my hallucinations had virtually disappeared and after one year my parents doctor nasrallah and i were talking about my transfer to the University of Cincinnati and in 2011 I graduated from UC with my molecular biology bachelor's degree it really felt like a miracle and it gave me renewed confidence in 2014 I published my memoir mind is strange my journey from schizophrenia and homelessness to recovery and in 2016 dr. nasrallah and I joined forces to establish the cures foundation comprehensive understanding via research and education in the schizophrenia cures provides education about cutting-edge and underutilized medications such as my clozapine which has kept me in full remission for eleven years with no relapse we offer hope we highlight stories of what we call schizophrenia survivors these are people who are thriving not just stabilized but thriving despite of schizophrenia diagnosis and we encourage doctors to be more proactive to fight for the highest level of recovery possible for their patients just the way that dr. nose Rolla fought for my life we have seen so many stories of recovery especially on clozapine schizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood diseases on earth it is a physical brain disease like Alzheimer's Parkinson's and stroke but more treatable it is in fact a physical disease like arthritis diabetes and cancer it affects one in a hundred of us there is no shame in taking a 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 not see my schizophrenia as a life sentence through the work of the cures foundation I hope to see many more success stories like mine thank you you

Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 287,741

Keywords: TEDxTalks, English, Health, Life, Medical research, Mental health, Self, Self improvement

Id: iPGd6l76l9A

Length: 8min 23sec (503 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 21 2019