hen I was first told that my mum was living with schizophrenia – by my school counsellor, when I was about 14 – I had almost no concept of what that really meant. All I knew for sure was that it felt dark, scary and taboo. In other words, my understanding of complex mental health was almost entirely defined by the stigma that surrounds it.
I had begun to suspect that there was something rather odd about mum, beyond the normal eccentricities. Maybe not everyone’s parents spoke to unseen voices from time to time, or became wildly obsessed with home break-ins.
I met dozens of incredible people living with complex mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, as well as their families and carers. It was only through these conversations that I came to understand what it was like living with these diagnoses, including the complications and failures of the mental healthcare system.
What I wish I had understood next was how remarkably lucky mum has been with her experience of psychosis and schizophrenia. Of course, it’s an extremely variable condition to begin with, but I wish I knew earlier how much the outcomes of schizophrenia can depend on things like socioeconomic circumstances, location and social support.
My greatest hope now is that we become more accustomed to seeing the success stories and, in doing so, come to grasp the systemic barriers that prevent so many people with complex mental health conditions from walking that path towards recovery.In Australia, support is available at