Personal Narrative: My Relationship With Schizophrenia

X was a bright, ambitious and energetic person, and he was loved by everyone alike. After years of hard work, he’d gotten into law school and was finally living his dream he had struggled so long for. He was also my best friend. When I came back home from college that year, I was met with somber and anxious faces rather than smiles and hugs. Blankly, I looked at my father’s face when he broke the shocking news that X had passed away from a drug overdose. I had witnessed my friend’s struggle with drugs and depression, which he had fought long and hard for years. His struggle and his strength even in the darkest movements was a testament to his determination to restart his life. It was while trying to get my friend the help he needed that I had …show more content…
While sitting in the cafeteria, a well-dressed middle aged man in a suit calling himself Mr. J approached me. He was a book salesman who really impressed me with his warm, articulate and confident persona. Two months later during my inpatient rotation, I was shocked to see Mr. J brought in by the police. He was found on the streets, confused and talking to himself. He had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the past and had not been compliant with his medications. During several conversations I had with Mr. J over the next few days, I realized the strong grip a mental illness can have on someone, and how it can totally change their personality. As I tracked Mr. J’s progress and discussed it with my attending, my first lesson was to take a holistic approach while managing my patients. I learned to perceive psychiatric conditions in a broader scope and integrate biomedical, psychological and social perspectives while treating them. Though his delusions were not completely gone, he started becoming more communicative, began taking care of his hygiene, and stopped hearing the voices which had tormented him. Seeing him improve over time was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had working in medicine. I was elated at the prospect of helping patients like Mr. J reintegrate into society, and I came out of that