Louise Gillett

Louise Gillett is a writer and creative talent behind the blog Schizophrenia at the School Gate. No, wait, she’s not just a writer, she’s an excellent writer and she’s got a wonderful way of explaining “schizophrenia” from the point of view of her older and wiser self. She writes about her insecurities in a way that I find delightful and insightful.  I got Louise’s permission to reprint her latest musings on social anxiety because I think what she’s saying can give parents hope in recovery.

Here’s just a snippet:

“About me.  Well, I am normal (we have established that.  Or haven’t we?!) but I was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young person and that still affects my perception of myself.  I feel quite strongly that this label is wrong – not for me in particular, but for everyone who is afflicted with it.  Because anyone can suffer emotional distress for a variety of reasons (there always are reasons) and anyone can break down – and anyone can also recover.  But the label of schizophrenia doesn’t allow for recovery – even if, like me, you haven’t had to take medication for twelve years and you have no symptoms of mental ill-health (social anxiety is not schizophrenia). 

Which means that those people who do recover – which is more than you would think – stay very quiet about the fact that they were ever diagnosed.  Which gives the others with the same label – and people are still being given this label today – very little hope for their own futures. ”