Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with having schizophrenia at the precious age of 19.

I felt cheated of my youth and my true potential - because basically I had quite a lot to offer, but I did not believe it at time. I wanted to be an actress/singer/writer because I was really creative and I was quite pretty. Unfortunately, as a result of tardive dyskinesia this beauty has been stolen from me and now I struggle with my memory. I do what I can, but did not get the opportunity to create my own mistakes in life, as a result of getting this demon of a disease at such a young age. I was often jealous of my other friends because they could easily get boyfriends and I was often rejected, used and sexually harassed. Fortunately, I know some great friends that are very supportive to me and one very nice guy is interested in me and he has OCD, which makes life difficult for him.

I live with my parents and would like to domicile in my own place, but rent is expensive and the public housing list is extensive and I want to be near hospitals and transport. I have had a good education, but at the moment on the dosage I am on thinking can be extremely difficult and I just feel tired. I am now waiting for the next anti-psychotic that will help me and not have too many side effects. We are going through some financial problems at home, which will take 7 years to fully resolve, thankfully we will still have the house.

My mum and dad are really supportive and give me a lot, but all I want is a cure for this wretched disease and people to be more compassionate and less discriminatory. I want more money to be invested in finding quicker productions of anti-psychotics, but they are extraordinarily complex to make and it may be another 5 years until I find a better one. I wanted people to pull out their wallets and give to the most complex mind disease in the world, because it is "the mother of all mental illnesses". If you do this, less people will be on pensions and therefore less tax to pay and it would be a better and safer society and people with schizophrenia would be so genuinely thankful, unbelievably so.

The media also portrays people with schizophrenia in an extremely bad light ("murders" and "rapists"), when the vast majority are the most gentle, loving and sensitive souls in the world. Not enough of their stories are being told. The media needs to get its act together and stop sensational journalism. Mental illness does not discriminate and you would feel very compassionate if your best friend, parent, lover, son or daughter had to struggle with this awful disease because it is your very worst nightmare.

Forget divorce as being the most stressful life event, the most stressful life event you can go through is living a life-long battle with this unforgiving illness.