Living with psychosis: 'I'm mad, but not bad'

She does provide an eloquent descriptor of the condition's impact.

As science continues to reveal how delicate and vital brain chemistry is and mental illness becomes medicalized, the public's reaction will change.

btw, great to see you.

Great writing indeed. There are so many overlapping symptoms that make diagnosis difficult. One I see often is avoiding interaction with people. I'm bi-polar and can not be around even small groups. If I could not hide in my house, venturing out on my own terms, I could easily retreat into my mind.

I often feel anxious around people, which sometimes makes me act in haste. I'm so sensitive to these results and they only compound my paranoid thoughts that people are out to get me. It's upsetting. So much so that today I work from home as a freelance journalist and content writer in order to avoid other people as much as possible.

I can totally relate to that statement. My husband doesn't understand why it's so hard for me to work, but I'm very self-conscious about being around others. I make social engagements brief before I can say something to cause whispering.

Thanks a million times for seeding this. I am so glad to hear this from another perspective.

Very shortly afterwards I was called to a meeting with my boss and the office manager and they said what had happened meant I couldn't do the job. There was too much risk it might happen again. I was speechless for all but a few minutes before being shown the back door "to save any embarrassment". While they outlined my right to appeal, I was in no state for an employment battle and felt ashamed anyway.

She is a very gifted writer, and conveys her struggles, and reactions to her struggles, very well. I wonder if she knows how many people she has helped in writing this? Somehow in all the retreating that she's done, she is opening the eyes of many.