Realign Raise Awareness Poster Series 'Patrick'

I am a man in my mid thirties. Three words that describe me are honest, thoughtful, and creative. Although I am unemployed, I keep myself busy with art. My hobbies are hill walking, and football: I love playing it, but I’m not really good enough to be on any official teams. That’s okay though, because I really love watching good players in a match. C’mon the town! I was only 18 years old when I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At fist I refused to believe it. This couldn’t be happening to me. It took me a long time to get to grips with the condition, but I’ve come to accept it as just the way the dice rolled for me. No, I never tell people I have schizophrenia, I hide it. People are just weird, and I don’t want them to look at me and only see schizophrenia. Some people have to manage diabetes, some have to manage migraines, some have to manage being paralyzed. Some of us manage illnesses that are also serious, but affect us mentally. I am Patrick. I am an artist, a football fan, a hill walker, and a person who lives with schizophrenia. It’s a serious part of my life, but it’s only one part of me.