What Schizophrenia Feels Like

The speaker recounts experiencing early symptoms of schizophrenia during their second year of university. They would hide under staircases due to intrusive, living thoughts and began hearing laughter and shrieks, leading to confusion and eventually dropping out of school.

After dropping out, the speaker became homeless and traveled through New Brunswick. Art, initially through graffiti and permanent markers, became a way to express the feeling of being haunted by unseen presences, drawing faces experienced during hallucinations.

The speaker describes how the drawings evolved into entities they would talk to, fostering a comforting relationship that made them feel less alone, especially after their first hospitalization. Creating art for themselves and others feels like a service.

The speaker emphasizes the multi-dimensional and complicated nature of schizophrenia, stating that intrusive thoughts are not always violent. They highlight that many people with schizophrenia are high-functioning professionals, debunking common stereotypes and promoting understanding to make the world a better place.