Eleven years ago, I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a debilitating condition that combines the features of schizophrenia with that of depression and addiction. This short guide shares the lessons I have picked up in the years since diagnosis and is meant to help the recently diagnosed come to terms with their state of mind and learn to live happier, more successful lives.

After publishing A Schizoaffective Brief Guide to Thriving with Schizophrenia, I have been amazed at the reception it has gotten, but in recent months I have felt the topics of delusions and paranoia were glossed over in the original guide in the interest of brevity and accessibility to people early in recovery. In this guide, I dive specifically into those topics, because they are at the core of what I consider to be the self-destructive loop that makes schizophrenia type disorders so difficult to recover from and horrifying to experience.

If you’re looking for a memoir, this book is not for you. This is an analysis of the experience and how to cope and thrive, not a narrative.

It is written based on my own experience living with the disorder, but it is not a story. It is mental strategies and explanations, meant to help bring insight to schizophrenics and their loved ones.

Topics covered include:The stages of psychosisHow my delusions formThe delusion-paranoia feedback loop and interaction with other symptomsThe logic of delusionsBreaking the cyclePossible causes of schizophreniaThis book is intended to give hope to the recently diagnosed and has been written to be an under an hour read to keep it accessible to people who may not be open to more long-winded advice books. .