Best Friends in Our Lives

Introduction

Best friends are essential in life, and we all have them at some point. Some of us have had best friends that are imaginary, for some of us it's mom, dad, or a family member, and for the rest, a best friend is someone they meet along the way. For me, my best friend growing up was one of my younger cousins. He was nine months younger but always acted like the oldest, toughest, and meanest one. We had a plan for what to do when we were older; we both dreamed of having a taco/Mexican restaurant. We both loved tacos, and every Thursday after school, we would go around the corner from his house and buy tacos from “Don Michael,” a super affordable place where you would get way more than what you actually paid for.

The Bond of Friendship

We were very close, and almost every weekend we wanted to sleep at each other’s house. After a few times staying at my house, he only wanted me to stay at his house, but he would not stay at my house for any reason. I thought it was a bit weird at first, but I would always agree with him, and we would stay over at his house. One time, after several months of me constantly asking, he finally decided to stay at my house. Everything was going well, and we were having a great time: eating a lot of food, candies, playing video games, table games, playing soccer in the middle of the street, and watching movies. When it was time to sleep, we turned the lights off and the silent night began, only to be torn apart by the noise of someone crying. At first, I thought it was outside in the street, but as I listened closely and carefully, I noticed the noise was coming from inside the house, inside my room. I quickly turned my light on and realized it was my cousin crying. “I haven’t done anything wrong, I haven’t said anything mean,” I thought to myself. After a few seconds of crying with the light on, he said he wanted to go home and see his mom. I was eight years old and had watched a lot of movies, so I was thinking, “he must be sensing something, and we have to go see what’s going on with my aunt.” After having my parents drive for 45 minutes, we arrived at my aunt’s house and found out there was nothing wrong with my aunt, and I started to wonder why my cousin was crying.

Discovering Schizophrenia

A few years later, he agreed to stay over at my house again. The same thing happened over and over again, so I knew that there had to be something wrong. It wasn’t until six years later when my cousin went to see a doctor and he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At the age of 17, I didn’t understand what that really meant, and I wanted to help my cousin in any way possible. Helping him was not very easy since my family and I had moved to a different country when I was 12. Living with schizophrenia doesn’t just take a toll on the person that has the disease, but it also affects family members. Managing it is not impossible, and living a joyful long life could be very possible. Before covering the treatments and how to manage schizophrenia, we will first discuss what exactly schizophrenia is. Then, we will move on to the causes of the disease. Lastly, we will talk about the treatments and management of schizophrenia.

Understanding Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder that involves severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and thought processes. During a schizophrenic episode, people lose their grip on reality. They become engulfed in an entirely different inner world, one that is often characterized by mental chaos, disorientation, and frustration (Smith, 2021). According to Psychology Today, there are at least 21 million people in the world that have schizophrenia ("Schizophrenia," 2023). Understanding this disorder requires a deeper exploration of its complexities and the profound impact it has on individuals and their loved ones.

Conclusion

The journey of discovering and managing schizophrenia is a challenging one. However, with proper understanding, support, and treatment, individuals with schizophrenia can lead fulfilling lives. The bond of friendship and family support plays a crucial role in this journey, as it provides the strength and encouragement needed to overcome the challenges associated with this condition.

References

• Smith, J. (2021). Understanding Schizophrenia. Psychology Press.
• "Schizophrenia." (2023). Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/schizophrenia