Rebuilding Life When you Have Schizophrenia: Rebecca’s Story

Rebecca Lyn Phillips

Rebecca Lyn Phillips, 43, is a published author, speaker, and mental health advocate.  She regularly shares her story of trial and recovery to help others who need hope.  She wants to shine a light on a dark subject and show that life can happen again.

Episode 9: Rebecca Lyn Phillips, Part One

3 Mom Updates: 

• When SMI peer community can be a problem
• Having a “mundane” problem put in perspective
• Periods of calm  

Rebecca’s story:   

• early life - filled with love, or filled with trauma? (the answer: love)
• "Dark Days" how psychosis started for Rebecca, what it felt like " I was tormented by intrusive thoughts and beliefs that hurt me." -- what was that like?
• Spirituality and psychosis 
• “Voices” or “intrusive thoughts”?
• First and subsequent hospitalizations and medications:  what was that like?
• Why go off your meds if they seem to help?
• Did you tell friends and other family members about what you were going through?
• Lowest point, and turning point: when things turned around - what clicked? the right doctor? the right medication? Your own awareness? The right words at the right time?

LINKS:

Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/

Randye and her book: https://benbehindhisvoices.com/

Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/

Rebecca’s book, Heart to Heart:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0840792190/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0

“Living with Schizophrenia” Documentary: https://youtu.be/48YJMOcykvc

Quotes:

“When I was 17, I started sleeping in my closet...it was like I was trying to escape my mind” - Rebecca

“When I was 18, I was sleeping in the bathroom in the art building because I thought I was in danger.” - Rebecca

“I was so scared that I’d have to be in a group home for the rest of my life...and I’d die there” - Rebecca

“The psychiatrist sat across from me and he said ‘I know your family member can accept your illness, but can you accept your illness?’...and something in my psyche shifted..and I thought ‘I actually have a choice here.’” - Rebecca

“I accept (and I don’t always do it with joy) -I accept that I have an illness. It’s a daily thing, and it’s taken years and years of struggle.” -Rebecca

“The voices  - the thoughts - were saying to me ‘flush all your medication down the toilet’” - Rebecca