The Science of Fiction

This is such a powerful read, I feel privileged.

Thoroughly agree with the above. A fascinating picture of both modern America, and mental health. I don't know if you plan to develop this further, but if you do, perhaps take it a bit slower, try not to jump from one thing to another

A real fan of your work. You are very skilled at translating mental health for both those in the know and those that are not, who need showing to gain a perspective of what schizophrenia may mean.

connection missing a 'c'.

This beautiful line got me: I was fourteen when the world lost all color. Inside the white machine, I lost all formulation. I have been born into a place where dreams once had the ability to become reality.

I'd be really interested to read your written intepretation of the experience of sleep paralysis. It's rarely touched on and yet such an affecting condition.

Grabbed by every word and gladly thrown around with an ease of language I haven't read for quite a while. Saying that, I'm reading A Confederacy of Dunces at the moment. I see schizophrenia as a force of nature in itself, a sort of blessing cursed by the parameters of 'acceptable thought', misunderstood and maligned by experts who lose faith in empathy far too quickly. Maybe it's the world's perceived restrictions that does that to them too; maybe adding letters after their names makes them lazy and conformist. My friend has paranoid schizophrenia and she's always been ultra truthful to her doctor about her delusions. He'll put up with it for so long but he usually puts her away when he tires of her and knows he can't help. I suggested not being quite so open to him last time (confiding in him seems to be some comfort to her) because I could tell she wanted some sort of affirmation from him again, and told her that he knows no other solution than to put her away every few years. She was sparing with the truth and she's riding the storm now, not in hospital but at home. It's taken an awful long time. The big change (I think) is that she knows she's on the right medication, at last, and the right dosage, and that she doesn't want to go back in. I admire schizophrenics because they seem to be on a completely different plain of thinking and intellect. They don't need the news to feel the world's ills; they arrive naturally, if not elusively and posing as personal threats. Still, better to question our thoughts than choosing the wrong path knowingly. What's the point in that? I reckon the breakthrough is when a schizophrenic finally accepts that they need the damn drugs that help them,which is the polar opposite to chemical dependents in that they must accept that they don't need the drugs that harm them. Acceptance of who we really are is always the key. Disregard these words as twaddle at leisure. I'm just really interested in how similar addicts are to schizophrenics. Both are possessed by voices that tell them to do things that aren't going to turn out right. Maybe it's just about accepting that the voices are going to come and not reacting as best we can. The thing about flies is that they want to annoy us but if we let them walk over our hand and don't swipe at them, they get bored ultra quick and fly off pronto in search of someone else, preferably someone who likes taking a swipe. 

You've got such an easy way with words and I'd read a whole book of this so I hope you plough on, not necessarily in search of magical answers but just amplifying the thoughts that pop into your head and maybe juxtaposing with the world around you. Have some fun. Some anecdotes of what's happening in life wouldn't go amiss too, especially if they're written straight after the event. You're a natural writer.