schizophrenia

Hope Remains: The Fish Catcher by Sherry Lanning

The Fish Catcher Sherry Lanning Arriving at the fish pond, we saw a duck family. “Those are my brother’s kids!” you said assuredly. “Really,” I smirked. “You’re smiling at me mom! I love it when you smile at me!” My 50-year-old, fish-catching son, off to drown some worms. We named you Robin, meaning “bright and shining fame.” The perfect name for our 7 ½ lbs of potential. Within the next 12 years, you would be joined by three sisters and three brothers. Our family of nine was musical, performing annually at local fairs. Your spontaneous energy enhanced our group. March 21, 1986 At 13 Robin is filled with life! His heart is as big as the sea. He loves pizza, basketball, and fishing. He sings like an angel. While competing at your school’s State Convention, you placed first in vocal solo. Your dynamic performance received a standing ovation. Your [...]

Hope Remains: The Fish Catcher by Sherry Lanningtonyroberts2025-07-31T10:36:56-04:00

Hope for Troubled Minds: One Mom’s Journey from Chaos to Hope

Randye Kaye is the author of Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey From the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011), and Happier Made Simple: Choose Your Words. Change Your Life (Front Porch Press, 2022). She's also an actor, voice talent, radio broadcaster, audiobook narrator, teacher and speaker. She co-hosts several podcasts, including Schizophrenia: 3 Moms in the Trenches. She lives with her husband in Connecticut, and her children and grandkids live close by. Her dining room and living room are full of toys. Dear Ben, Life has not turned out to be what any of us imagined, hoped for you, when you were a little boy. You: so bright, so sweet, so enthusiastic, so loving. So many friends, so many talents. The future, so promising. And then came schizophrenia. The great thief. Oh, the symptoms presented in many forms before we - or at least I [...]

Hope for Troubled Minds: One Mom’s Journey from Chaos to Hopetonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:21-04:00

Hope for Troubled Minds: My Answered Prayer

My love letter is to the girl who actually loves me ! Her name is Mindy and I distinctly remember praying to God in my misery for a girl who would love me. Here’s our story. We met on a blind double date singing Karaoke. Her friend asked me out and made the mistake of bringing Mindy. I fell right away but didn’t know if our feelings were mutual. She looked like Taylor Dayne and it was in 1989 so that was the style. I fell for her looks and as we got to know each other I fell for her loving and beautiful heart. 3 days of dating and I knew it was serious so I had to tell her my secret. I told her I was a Paranoid Schizophrenic and that if she wanted to end it then, I would understand. She thought for a moment and then [...]

Hope for Troubled Minds: My Answered Prayertonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:21-04:00

The Light at the End of the Tunnel by Kevin McDermott

Hi, My name is Kevin McDermott. I'm a firm believer in JESUS CHRIST LORD AND SAVIOUR and am seriously mentally ill. I'm diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenia. Here's my story. About 22 years ago before I was diagnosed with SMI, I left home to embark on a journey that would forever change my life. I had no money and only had the clothes on my back. I wanted to find my way to eternal life. Anyway on my walk I came upon a drainage tunnel which sits outside of Lincoln village apartments. I could walk through it but I had to hunch my back to do it, I walked about a mile and there was an adjoining drainage tunnel that I came to. My mind was racing and I thought of the movie Shawshank redemption where the main character (Andy) had crawled through a sewage of crap and came [...]

The Light at the End of the Tunnel by Kevin McDermotttonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:31-04:00

Addictions and SMI go hand in hand by Audrey A.

Audrey writes: I was an active advocate for family members and for those suffering Serious Mental Illness in central Kansas. husband I also facilitated a NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) support group, and taught Family to Family education classes for family members of the mentally ill. My husband and I have retired to the state of Oklahoma, nearer to family. I continue to advocate for change in the laws regarding SMI by way of online advocacy groups. My husband and I sat quietly, but anxiously, in the crowded courtroom, waiting the Judge's entrance. The judge who would decide our 19 year old son's fate for the next several years. We whispered words of comfort to each other, shared nervous giggles and tried to remain calm, as we waited. This was our final trip to the local county courthouse. We had hired an attorney to defend our son on his [...]

Addictions and SMI go hand in hand by Audrey A.tonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:31-04:00

From Mental Illness to MBA by John Witcher

Living with a mental illness is very challenging and can be very frustrating. In 1994, when I was diagnosed, the culture surrounding mental illness was much different. Many of the support groups were not as easy to access, due to technology limitations. The internet was not as user friendly, if you had it at all. When you were the person in the room with a mental illness, you typically kept it to yourself, and it was suggested that you do not disclose. With the help of organizations like NAMI, SARDAA, APSE, Vocational Rehabilitation, KEY and many others, mental health is becoming something that is easier to discuss, when in the past, it was not. In 2017, I received an MBA with honors, from IndianaTech. I remember, in the 1990’s, when I was considering going back to college, I got a great deal of pushback. I heard countless times, that it was a crazy thought. Then, I approached my [...]

From Mental Illness to MBA by John Witchertonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:32-04:00

Scorn-full

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123:3-4) While modern medicine has come a long way in helping us understand and explain mental illness, people’s perspectives can lag far behind. Many people still think that with more faith, a stronger will, and a better attitude, such things as depression, bipolar disorder, even schizophrenia can just go away. This outlook often leads to pinning the blame for the illness on the person struggling to overcome it. It can also lead to contempt and scorn on the part of the accuser that the accused may internalized. “If you only had more faith.” “If you weren’t so lazy.” “If you just kept a positive attitude.” Like the [...]

Scorn-fulltonyroberts2024-08-26T13:04:38-04:00