I Michael. I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as well. I hear voices and have heard them for 29 years. Do not let that worry you. Even though I heard them I still have a successful life.

 

How I cope with the voices is that I acknowledge that its a voice, shut it done immediately and force myself to think over them. In a sense I push them out and away.

 

I will take patience and diligence to cope. There is hope.

 

Giving yourself less classes next term is a good idea. Stress can bring the voices out.

 

I wish you well. I hope your art project is successful

 

Peace,

 

Dave

When I started college, I was what I consider to be bipolar. I was manic because I could not sleep but about 3 hours a night and thought myself God's gift to the universe. I was sure that every painting or drawing I did was of genius caliber. Whatever I read stuck in my mind immediately --dates, times, names, places -- so I always made A's. But on the other hand, I was depressed at the same time and very paranoid. But I wasn't psychotic. I wasn't hearing voices or having other hallucinations, nor was I having paranoid delusions. So it was a "mixed state." What I did to cope was major in something that was familiar to me, that I enjoyed: Art. That made it easier for me to sit through an art history class, and even easier to sit through biology and English, for that matter, because I was working toward a goal that was important to me. Often, I would sign up for 12-16 hours, but then I would drop the most difficult class or classes, usually ending up with about 9 hours. That was all I could cope with. I never left in the middle of a class, but I did drop plenty that I found too challenging, usually because the professors liked to weed out anyone not seriously interested by giving a lot of F's on early assignments. It is great you are taking the prescribed medications, and breaking in a new one can be very hard. Always take time to make sure you are okay, and that includes not taking on too much that is stressful. No one says you have to graduate in 4 years or even 10 years. Go at a pace at which you are comfortable or else you might relapse. I am proud of you for sticking with school. I wasn't really diagnosed with schizophrenia until I was 37, but I did have these mental illness symptoms the first 3 years I was in college. Then the 4th year I crashed and had to take a year off. Then I went back on an art scholarship at a much smaller college in a small town and lived in the dorm. I didn't try to work while finishing my degree. And eventually, I did graduate magna cum laude and was voted Art Student of the Year. I am so glad now that I stuck with it -- you will be too. Carolyn