Growing Pains

The first day of my life, which was the beginning of my existence in this world and the start of what would ultimately be a very turbulent journey, was January 3rd,

College Daze     

I entered UMass Amherst in September 1993 to study journalism. Writing had always been my strength, so I figured having a journalism career would be fun and

Nervous Breakdown

Shortly after leaving college and moving back home, I got a job as a collections agent at a company called Saunders Business Service. It wasn’t the most glamorous

Bridgewater

My arrival at Bridgewater State Hospital, which is a state prison for the criminally insane, was definitely a very frightening and terrifying experience for me. I arrived in a

Depressed and Hopeless

I came home from Bridgewater on April 20th, 1995. The realization of what had just happened to me had not sunk in yet. I was just happy to be back on the street. The

Charlene

My feud with Tamara’s parents began when she got pregnant. Previous to that, I used to come over to their house, watch movies with them, eat dinner, and hang out

Shirley Street

When I moved in with Sarita on Shirley Street, I was determined to learn more about the illness I have, so I began to do some research to get an understanding of

Reality Still Exists

I stayed in the Fenwood Inn for about two months. While I was there, I got into a program that provides housing and treatment to the mentally ill. They told me

The Break-Up

In September 1997, I moved into my own one-bedroom apartment in the South End of Boston, not too far from my dad’s apartment on Massachusetts Avenue

Robinwood       

In February 1998, I moved into the Robinwood Ave. group home in Jamaica Plain. It was a very nice, big three-story house with rooms on the second and third floors

Rosie’s Place    

In September 1998, I started getting manic again. The weird thing about it was I had managed to stay clean and sober for the past few months, and I thought I had a grip

Doing Time          

During the long ride to Bridgewater, my mind kept racing, and I was getting more and more delusional. I remember the street lights were shining through the van

Intervale Avenue      

When I first got out of jail, I moved in with my friend Bobby in Cambridge. Bobby was one of my best friends from high school. We have been good friends since the

Stranded in Boston          

When I decided to give up my apartment and be homeless, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Being homeless is like being an outcast of society, the

Enfield, NC               

I moved to Enfield, North Carolina, in March of 2001 after months of being homeless. I took the Amtrak down there, and when I arrived, my mom was there to pick me

Overdose             

When I got back to Boston in September 2001, Sarita was there to meet me at the train station. We took the subway back to Hyde Park, where she lived. When I was

Uncle Joe’s House           

My Uncle Joe has always been one of my favorite uncles. I remember, as a kid, he used to teach us karate because he was a 5th-degree black belt. He was also a

The Fenwood Inn         

I moved into the Fenwood Inn in June 2002. In my first couple of months there, I attended the Partial Hospital program. The Fenwood Inn would close at 8 am

Mclean Hospital       

Things were going so great in my life at this time. I was stable, working, and moving in the right direction. I had applied to Gibbs College to start in the fall, and I was so

The South Shore    

I got out of Mclean Hospital before Elizabeth did and went back to my apartment. A few days later, I got a call from Elizabeth stating, “I’m free, I’m finally free!” She

Warren Street  

When I was released from Quincy Mental Health Center, Manny was there to pick me up. He informed me that he would be taking me to my apartment to get some

Burlington

In April 2005, Allen and I moved into the Lord Baron Apartments in Burlington, MA. When we first got there, we didn’t have anything; no furniture, no beds, and we

Revenge

I stayed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital overnight, recovering from the beating I had taken. I didn’t sleep that night, and was starting to get manic because of the anger

Betrayal

On my first day out of Nashua Street, I went to Sarita’s house. My family was happy to see me and reassured me that I would beat this case. I had several immediate

Worcester County

When I got to Worcester County Jail I was extremely upset. I had been cheated on by my girlfriend, and arrested for something I didn’t do. I never shoved Andrea, and I

The Last Straw

When I got out of jail, I realized that I had had enough. I promised myself that I would never go to jail again. I was getting older, and my mind and body couldn’t take

Blood Clots

Two weeks after I started working I got my first paycheck, and decided to celebrate. Nothing big, I just wanted to drink a beer and watch the Red Sox game in my