Living with Schizophrenia Into My 70s

The Tree of Inner Equilibrium

“I walk mindfully through a world of both light and shadow, choosing peace, purpose, and growth.”

By: Jeff Travis

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 24. This coming April, I turn 70.

Not many people with schizophrenia live this long.

That reality isn’t lost on me—it humbles me. It also gives me a deeper sense of purpose: to reflect on what has helped me not only survive, but live a meaningful life over the course of nearly five decades with this illness.

Contents

1 🌟 Surviving Against the Odds
2 🧭 What Has Helped Me Live This Long?
3 🕊️ Solitude and Silence: My Sanctuary
4 🧘 Meditation: A Lifelong Anchor
5 📚 Lifelong Learning: Feeding the Mind and Soul
6 💼 Work and Purpose: Even Part-Time Matters
7 🌗 Moral Awareness: Seeing the World Clearly
8 🧠 Managing Negative Thought: A Discipline of the Mind
9 🌳 A Philosophy Rooted in Resilience
10 💬 Final Reflections
11 Ralated Articles

🌟 Surviving Against the Odds

Statistically, schizophrenia can reduce life expectancy by 15 to 25 years. Many of us face not just the symptoms of the illness, but also:

Co-occurring health issues like diabetes or heart disease
Side effects from long-term medication
Social isolation or stigma
Difficulty accessing consistent care
Risk of suicide—especially in earlier stages

Yet here I am—approaching 70. I’ve lived through decades of evolving treatments, changing public perceptions, and my own internal battles. And I’m still here.

That doesn’t make me extraordinary. But it does mean I’ve learned some things that might be worth sharing.

🧭 What Has Helped Me Live This Long?

🕊️ Solitude and Silence: My Sanctuary

Only recently have I come to understand the healing power of solitude and silence. When chosen consciously, these aren’t signs of withdrawal. They are spaces of restoration.

Silence softens the internal noise.
Solitude clarifies thoughts and feelings.
Both help me listen more deeply—to the world, to myself, and to what truly matters.

🧘 Meditation: A Lifelong Anchor

Meditation has been with me through it all. It hasn’t always been easy—quieting a mind shaped by schizophrenia takes work. But over the years, it became an anchor.

It taught me to:

Let thoughts come and go without fear
Re-center during chaotic moments
Build an inner spaciousness untouched by external events

It became my personal sanctuary, accessible anytime, anywhere.

📚 Lifelong Learning: Feeding the Mind and Soul

I never stopped learning.

Whether reading, exploring philosophy, or following developments in mental health, growth of the mind kept me moving forward.

In a world that often assumes schizophrenia leads to decline, I chose to challenge that narrative.

💼 Work and Purpose: Even Part-Time Matters

Even part-time work—whether employment or running a small business—has given me:

Structure
Meaning
Contribution

Work reminds me that I have something to give. It pushes back against the idea that my illness makes me passive or dependent. It connects me to society with dignity.

🌗 Moral Awareness: Seeing the World Clearly

The world is full of good and evil. I’m aware of both.

And I choose to live in a way that reaches out to the good and avoids the evil.

This isn’t about naive optimism—it’s about intentional living. Choosing what I focus on, what I support, and where I direct my limited energy.

🧠 Managing Negative Thought: A Discipline of the Mind

I don’t allow myself the luxury of a negative thought for more than a few seconds.

I’ve learned the cost of ruminating—how one spiral can ruin an entire day. So I interrupt it. I let it go. I refocus.

This may sound small, but it’s mental hygiene—as important as brushing your teeth. It keeps the mind clear enough to function, create, and find joy.

🌳 A Philosophy Rooted in Resilience

If I had to summarize the way I live, it would be this:

“I walk mindfully through a world of both light and shadow, choosing peace, purpose, and growth.”

This isn’t just poetic. It’s practical. It’s how I’ve survived—and even thrived—under the weight of a diagnosis that many believe defines or limits a person.

I’m here to say: it doesn’t have to.

💬 Final Reflections

To anyone out there navigating schizophrenia, whether newly diagnosed or decades in:

You are not alone.
You are not broken.
And you are not without power.

Find what centers you.
Create structure.
Learn.
Work in whatever capacity you can.
And always—choose the good.

It’s not always easy. But it is possible.
I’m living proof of that.

Shared with care and respect.
— A 70-Year Survivor

Schizophrenia Didn’t Kill Me is a raw, unfiltered journey through madness, misdiagnosis, and survival — told by a man who lived it and lived to write the truth. From locked wards and medication fog to moments of clarity and breakthrough, Jeff Travis shares his decades-long battle with schizophrenia in a voice that’s equal parts brutal, insightful, and unexpectedly hopeful.

This isn’t a tale of victimhood — it’s a story of grit, reinvention, and reclaiming a life that the system tried to write off. If you’ve ever struggled with mental illness — or love someone who has — this book will crack you open and leave you stronger.

Click here to buy on Amazon