Timothy
One of the most important elements of Timothy’s life, though, is his faith in God…. He also hopes to start reading the Bible and give the church ten percent of his income each month….The only time that Timothy does not feel like attending church is when he experiences spells where he does not do as well as usual….Whether he is able to attend church every week or not, Timothy’s faith in God is woven throughout his life….They see each other often, as she takes him to church regularly. Read More…
Ashley
Looking back, Ashley remembers thinking extreme religious thoughts, and began having vivid hallucinations, thinking that she could look at a person and tell if they were “angelic or demonic.” She states that she remembers seeing that most everyone was demonic, even hallucinating that their eyes were solid black, and that she felt very afraid and disoriented…. Ashley remembers being very afraid and praying to God in the parking lot to protect her and to get her back home to Atlanta safely….Upon leaving church that day, Ashley rode public transportation and recalls being terrified of everyone, even though she knew in her heart that they were harmless….She didn’t know where to go, but she felt comforted and hopeful in her faith in this moment. Read More…
Katie
….Periodically, individuals from churches would find her and take her to the hospital or pay for her to stay in a motel for a few days or a week…. Read More…
Victoria
….For Victoria, faith helps with symptom management, but also creates some challenges…She believed she was receiving messages from God and that she was “doing great things for the [Catholic] church.” This time period, which lasted for about a year and a half, was perpetuated by her own thoughts, as well as a priest who believed that she was, in fact, receiving messages from God. …When Victoria’s functioning deteriorated, she began reading about her symptoms online, and brought herself to a team of doctors at UCLA, suspecting she had schizophrenia… Read More…
Vickie
….Vickie enjoys playing guitar, singing in her church’s choir, socializing with friends, drawing and writing. Read More…
Antone
He attributed his success in getting through that period of his life to a positive attitude, his faith, and his family… Read More…
Robert
…In addition to his faith, Robert identifies his family as another source of support for him…. Robert attends church weekly and identifies his faith as one thing that helps him through the more difficult times… Read More…
Mrferguson
So I really sat down and thought one day, “Why is God penalizing me like this?”…Despite his questioning of God at that time, Mr. Ferguson has had a deep and strong faith in God for a number of years….‘Cause his spirit is around me. Read More…
Annette
In addition to her stress classes, Annette has found a church where people are supportive, and where she can put her love of singing and her talent to use…. Read More…
Luna
…Since Luna’s schizophrenia diagnosis, she connects more with her faith….She attends church, and her pastor encourages her to think about life and the role of God in her life. Read More…
Bob
It’s Bob’s faith that gets him through the discouragement….”I still feel the pain of being a schizophrenic, but my faith is in Jesus and I just believe He will have a better place for me when this life is over. “ Read More…
Antoinette
…Antoinette is also very active on Facebook and writes a lot about her experiences with schizophrenia, as well as her struggles with what type of religion she associated with and whether she believes there is a God…. Read More…
Wesley
Then, he returned to school to continue studying, and this is when he told a friend he was feeling “awkward energy he wasn’t familiar with.”…His friend recommended church, so they went to church together. Read More…
Tj
experiences much stress with his situation, but he has learned a way to cope and find calm and peace, by going to a quiet spot on the grounds of a nearby church. Read More…
Susan
She attributes her wellness to many things: supportive family and church members, her faith in God, an effective medication regime, and a gifted psychiatrist. Read More…
Rachel
Because she grew up attending church, Rachel figured these demonic hallucinations were the demons discussed in conversations about the supernatural….She even told a few church members about the things she saw, and they confirmed the idea that her visions were demons. Read More…
Peter
It seeks to find the reason, but they’re too bent on physiology, form and function – too bent on nuts and bolts to think about the spiritual healing of a person… If you have holistic doctors who depend on holism–holism is pretty much like the cosmos, everything connected together in the ecosphere….…even the holistic doctor is not in tune like Eastern religion is with the cosmos, a cosmos where everything in the niche zens to the healing. Read More…
Penny
She desires growth in her religion and increased closeness to God…. In addition to familial support and strength, Penny relies on her faith in a higher power. Read More…
Mindy
….She is involved in her church and loves art. Read More…
Warren
Later on, Warren decided to try to be an “upstanding member of the community.” He joined the choir at his church, and he became romantically involved with the soprano of the group. Read More…
Joseph
Delusions caused him to believe that there were spirits and forces he needed to face in order to save the world, and that this could be achieved by going through a car and crossing into a parallel universe. Read More…
Derrick
One might think he would be bitter about his fate, and about life, but in spite of the severe abuse Derrick suffered, several bouts with alcoholism, years of living on the street and a chronic mental illness, he remained optimistic, attributing his outlook to his faith in God and “Being around positive people”. Read More…
