By Savana Robinson
A little over two years ago, a schizophrenia diagnosis changed my life after a traumatizing psychosis episode. I was in my second semester at Cal Poly Humboldt when my onset hit, and it was the most terrifying experience of my life. Timely intervention and care helped me get back to reality. I had to leave school that semester and finish from home, but I made my way back up to Humboldt the following semester. Since then, I’ve been working on The Lumberjack, in broadcasting for over a year, won a couple of awards for my student publication work and I’m about to graduate with my journalism degree. I’m extremely proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished while fighting a mental battle every day. Schizophrenia can seriously impact someone’s life — and I’m no exception — but through support and treatment, it can be managed.
My support system has saved my life. I wouldn’t be here without my selfless father, my caring mother, my encouraging sister and my thoughtful boyfriend. I also can’t forget my professors and peers here at Cal Poly Humboldt who have all helped me get to where I am now.
Getting to this point has also taken a lot of work on my part. Finding the right mix of medications and attending therapy religiously has helped me stabilize and maintain a functional baseline. I’m incredibly grateful for modern medicine, but it has taken some time and patience to figure out which combination works best for me. Therapy is also a part of treatment that works over time and requires consistency. I understand and appreciate that I am in a fortunate position to have what I need available to me, as not everyone with schizophrenia — or bipolar, hello mania! — has access to proper, let alone consistent, treatment, but it shouldn’t be that way. I believe everyone who struggles with mental illness deserves adequate care.
During my psychosis, I didn’t think I would make it out of the hospital, or even make it back to college to finish my degree. Going through my episode and receiving my diagnosis brought along a slew of challenges, but also gave me the opportunity to develop my emotional skills. I’ve become more resilient, adaptable and grounded in these two years post-episode. I’m not glad for what I went through, but I’m happy where I am now.
Savana Robinson is a senior journalism major and a multimedia journalist and producer at Redwood News. She loves motorcycles, cats and video games.
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