different from my typical posts but wanted to share that i started graduate school again today after being on medical leave for my mental health since march 1st !
i am a mix of nervous and excited . i have genuinely always enjoyed school , i just needed to take a few months away as i was in residential treatment and needed to be stabilized on medication .
i am studying clinical psychology//clinical mental health counseling in preparation to become a licensed therapist . i have my first residency mid november of this year !!
as someone living with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder my whole life , i have an extensive history with the mental healthcare system and 90% of it has been awful and horribly traumatic for me . schizophrenia is still so misunderstood and stigmatized among mental health professionals , it has taken a lifetime to find a therapist and psychiatrist who treat me as a human being with dignity . and it should not be this way .
i really want to become a therapist so i can work to make positive changes in mental healthcare , especially for lgbtq+ individuals and people living with more stigmatized conditions such as psychotic , dissociative , and personality disorders . i want to provide the treatment i wish i had received and be a safe person to go to . nobody should be treated as less than for a diagnosis and i try my hardest to educate and spread awareness to my classmates who may have never met somebody with chronic mental illness or have preconceived ideas about conditions such as schizophrenia .
my brain works much differently but it does not inherently make me dangerous or a bad person , and it will not make me a bad therapist .
i believe more people living with mental illness should feel empowered to pursue careers in psychology . i think it’s really important to have representation in the mental healthcare field and be a voice for people who might be unable or are too afraid to speak up ♡