One person’s story:
I was born in Phoenix, but I grew up in Tempe. I attended McClintock High School and wanted to attend ASU after taking some classes at Mesa Community College.
I was about 19 when I started hearing voices and it wasn’t long after that when I was given the diagnosis of schizophrenia. I tried taking several types of medication to calm the voices, but nothing worked 100 percent.
Worse than that was the way that the medication made me feel. I had no energy or strength and most days felt sick to my stomach. I made the choice for myself to stop taking meds when I was about 24. I was homeless for a few years after that, but I eventually was able to cope enough to hold down day labor work on a consistent basis.
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