David didn’t understand why people were looking at him like something wasn’t right.

He was speaking clearly but they didn’t get what he was saying. He was full of energy; they all seemed so slow.

The penny didn’t drop until he was taken away by ambulance. Doctors diagnosed schizophrenia.

“I had mental health challenges back in 2011 and had to be hospitalised for a short period,” said David, a Bermudian who wasn’t living here at the time. “After talking to doctors they said the likelihood is that it was stress-related.

“It wasn’t obvious to me; I didn’t think I was stressed, but people recognised that something was not right.

“People said it looked like I wasn’t focused when they talked to me. I was also neglecting my responsibilities, I wasn’t functioning normally. I wasn’t sleeping as much as I should have but I felt like I was on top of the world. I felt energetic. I had a mission to accomplish and all these racing thoughts but it was hard to focus. I don’t know who contacted medical personnel but I went to hospital in an ambulance.”

David, who was then in his 20s, asked that we not use his real name. He’s looking for a job and is afraid of being judged by potential employers.

Statistics show that one out of every four people in the UK experience some kind of mental health problem. Schizophrenia affects one out of every 100 people. David felt there was likely a similar incidence here, although there aren’t official statistics to back that up.

“I don’t know anybody else [with mental health issues] or at least nobody that I’ve talked to personally,” he said. “I’ve heard [anecdotally] of people with challenges. I’ve heard of people who don’t want to take medication although they want to be healthy and people who say they’re doing well and so stop the medication.

“I’m speaking out because I want to do what I can to help. There is a stigma associated with it. I’m not established professionally so I want to be wise about how I promote awareness. I want to be anonymous because, at the same time as I’m trying to combat the stigma, I realise there is a stigma. People might judge me if they were aware of my mental health challenges — which could make it harder for my professional growth.”

The findings of a landmark schizophrenia study by the US government were announced yesterday.

According to ‘The New York Times’, patients who received smaller doses of antipsychotic mediation and more one-on-one therapy and family support, recovered faster over the first two years of treatment than patients who experienced the traditional drug-focused care.

Typical treatment included strong doses of antipsychotic drugs that blunted hallucinations and delusions but also caused severe weight gain or debilitating tremors.

David was grateful for the strides he made under the guidance of the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute. A relapse in 2012 led to a brief hospitalisation but with medication, coping methods and support from family and friends, he’s now better.

“I returned to Bermuda and stayed home for a while and was treated at MWI where they changed my medication to something that was easier to get here. Also, they felt the doseage was a bit high for me so they lowered it.

“I was concerned about going back to the same environment and having people judge me but everybody was really supportive even though they didn’t necessarily know what was going on. There were certain people [away that] I told about my situation so they could contact my parents if it happened again.

“It didn’t work out completely as I was hospitalised the second time but it was great to have that peace of mind. There was also a doctor I was seeing out there who added to my support system away [as well as] my friends and people in my church. I also had my doctor at home and my parents and the people at MAWI.”

Why he was affected still remains a mystery.

“There’s a possible history on my father’s side of the family but I could be genetically predisposed,” he said.

“It was humbling to know we’re a lot more fragile than we think. I’ve since learnt to not take things for granted. It’s easy for negative things to happen to anyone.

“My faith in Jesus Christ was also part of [my recovery]. At first I felt mentally weak, weak of character, but negative things happen where God is helping us learn about ourselves.

“My family has been very supportive. Medication is really important. A lot of people don’t want medication.

“If you don’t take medication, it won’t help you in the longrun. It’s an important part of managing the illness, along with the coping mechanisms.”