Patrick Tracey: Stalking Irish Madness--Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia

loved this entire set of articles, T. Thank you.
(And thank you to Patrick for his candor about his insights on procreation...)

Somewhere in our genetics, motley though they are, is some Irish blood. We have the fair skin, great sense of humor and colorful personalities, the alcoholism and other less fun parts of being Irish.

I'm 55. One brother disappeared and never returned. One brother drank himself to death alone in his apartment. My mother died of cancer at 62 and my dad is quietly waiting to die.

I am the white sheep of the family, or so they thought. As far as I know there is no schizophrenia in our family but there is so much else screwed up inside of us that I've spent my entire life trying to get over the first 15 or so years spent with my family.

I've struggled with addictions, depression, anxiety and one of the last mental health stigmas, Dissociative Identity Disorder. My mom's family were into satanic/occult activities. For the last 14 years I've been trying to recover from DID while living with a spouse who says DID doesn't exist. So, I live with my own form of insane living between the different mental states of my own reality and the crazy man I married who thinks I would choose having different personalities over boring life as a singleton if I were given a choice

All survivor's stories give me hope because I am a survivor on the way to hope, healing and recovery. There are so many more DID people among us than any would guess and only a few of us act like "Sybil" or "Three faces of Eve". My first rule in living was to "pass for normal". It was safer that way, I stayed alive by doing that. But, what kept me alive then is killing me now. So, I stay in counseling, use meds discretely and work toward the day when God helps me go free.

Thanks for all the cool things you write and speak Therese. The words and You matter.

Deb

This is to the lady that signed her reply " Deb " .
In reply to your sentence " So, I stay in counseling , use meds discretely and work toward the day God helps me go free . "

Your perception of God is incorrect . God helps those that helps themselves . Remember this .

The " work towards the day God helps me go free " is your key in understanding . God has to do nothing , you set yourself free when you have total faith in him . That is how it works . You will feel it when you say to God I believe what you have told me in the bible and I trust in you completely and know there is nothing to worry about , I trust you God and know everything will be alright .

Until you get to that will you be free of all your fears and doubt's .

Until you accept Jesus as God , the good Shepard and the fact that he is pure love and you have nothing to fear and following him in thought and prayer daily , will you know peace in your spirit .

Ask yourself this question . Do I believe in God or not ? Then think about it . Look over all things said by God in the bible . Know what God said . Think about it .

I believe i suffer from schizophrenia. i am a 31 year old female and i started hearing voices off & on around the age of 21- i am now 31. it has gotten worse b/ i have sprained my wrist resulting in an injury due to a "freak ot" session during my sleep. it's almost like a re-occuring dream but i think there is someone coming into my room and i jumped out of bed in my sleep and fell backwards. so.....my husband & i joke about it- but i freak out off & on from time to time. i don't know if it's stress or environmental that effects this condition more. but i would say its safe to say i suffer from this mentally.....and physically. any input on this? feeling lonely,embarrassed, mis-understood, and possibly in public denial but i know deep down what i truly believe!