In high school, I was too competitive and not very social.

In college, things were perfect. I was living in the dorm and taking classes I loved. But I was not happy.

A humanitarian trip to Africa radically changed my life, helping me find compassion and friendship.

Today I am more family-oriented and well-rounded than I ever was before schizophrenia interrupted my life.

I was recently recording a podcast with a producer who asked me the following question: Has schizophrenia changed who you are as a person?

I was so surprised by his question. I am not sure I ever considered how schizophrenia has changed me over time. But with some thought, I now realize that it has changed me significantly, and most surprisingly, I would say it has changed me for the better.

Reflections on a Family Vacation

Last week, I spent five days on the coast of North Carolina in a rented condo with my mom and dad. We used to go every summer when I was growing up, usually spending a week at a small house we rented on the ocean called “Two Gulls.” In more recent years, we have rented a condo on the ocean instead, as it also has a swimming pool only yards away from the beach.

As we spent our week swimming in the pool, walking the ocean, collecting shells and wading through the waves, I felt perfectly happy. It was so fun to spend this special time with my parents, and I had forgotten just how well both of them cook.

But the biggest surprise to me was the difference between how I felt on the beach in 2026 versus how I felt when we vacationed there when I........

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