The Beginning in the End

Scientists still do not know the specific causes of schizophrenia, but research has shown that the brains of people with schizophrenia are different from the brains of people without the illness. Like many other medical illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, schizophrenia seems to be caused by a combination of problems including genetic vulnerability and environmental factors that occur during a person's development. Recent research has identified certain genes that appear to increase risk for schizophrenia. Like cancer and diabetes, the genes only increase the chances of becoming ill; they alone do not cause the illness.* 

Welp, it's a short post for tonight because I have to go to bed early so I can be out of the house by 6:45am.  Today was a good day.  Last day of work at KW, and it was good.  I'll be back there to say hi and everything so it wasn't too bittersweet.  I had therapy too, and it was a good session.  My therapist says I'm doing really well dealing with all the different stressors in my life right now, and that makes me feel really good. We also discovered that I'm starting to give myself positive reinforcement for things I've been doing well, and that's an enormous step, since I usually look for positive reinforcement from other people.  I'm hoping that this new job will allow me to start a new chapter of my life - one without my Army Ex in it, and one where I'm dependent solely on myself for the things I've been looking to other people for up until now.

I'm setting some goals for myself that I think are pretty easily attainable.  Obviously, paying off CU is a big one.  It would be easier to do if I were to continue living at my parents' house, but that's not an option as far as I'm concerned, so whatever tax return I get this coming year will go entirely to CU.  Moving out is another goal.  I'd like to be able to pay for my car to be fixed with minimal help from my parents.  And then I'll just throw in losing 10lbs just for kicks because I know that is a goal that I will more than likely miss, but it will be a challenge for me just the same.

I've decided that the best way to be able to get up early and get going is to get as ready as possible the night before, so I'm getting ready NOW.  I hope I'll be able to sleep through all this excitement that's seeping out of my pores!!

*"NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | Mental Illnesses." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness - Mental Health Support, Education and Advocacy. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23036>.