Cordt Winkler struggled with his schizophrenia diagnosis for a long time. Today the author and festival organizer fights against the stigmatization of people who have experienced psychosis.
What was wrong with me? I turned on the espresso maker without first filling it with water. Lately I’ve often been unfocused, distracted by strange thoughts. Sometimes I felt so confused that I didn’t want to go to college. I was afraid to talk to others. Fear that they will notice that something is wrong with me. In fact, I was afraid that I was no longer normal, but crazy. Like my father, whose psychoses scared me as a child. He was often in the psychiatric ward and given medication to sedate him. But since they had severe side effects, he stopped taking them after a while. And then it started again.
His schizophrenia hung over me like the sword of Damocles.
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Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.