What It’s Like to Live with Schizophrenia and Still Build a Career

By Jeff Travis, author of Schizophrenia Didn’t Kill Me

“Schizophrenia might change your path—but it doesn’t erase your potential.”

Living with schizophrenia is a daily challenge that tests not only your mind but also your will to participate in life’s larger ambitions—relationships, health, and for many of us, career. It’s a diagnosis often viewed as the end of professional aspirations, a “life sentence” of unemployment and social isolation.

But here’s what I’ve learned: it doesn’t have to be.

In my memoir, Schizophrenia Didn’t Kill Me, I share the deeply personal journey of navigating schizophrenia while building a career in the public service, trades, and eventually, property valuation. It wasn’t easy. The road was filled with missteps, setbacks, and countless days where just getting out of bed felt impossible.

And yet, I built a meaningful, successful career while living with one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses in the world.

Let me walk you through what it’s really like—and why hope, structure, and support are key ingredients to any recovery story.

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🌪 The Early Breakdown: When Ambition Meets Psychosis

Before my diagnosis, I was like any other young man: driven, focused, and obsessed with numbers. I was studying finance, dreaming of high-powered boardrooms and a life of achievement.

But schizophrenia creeps in quietly. For me, it started as difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts, and bouts of paranoia that I couldn’t explain. I dismissed them as stress or overwork. But soon, the hallucinations, emotional swings, and withdrawal from my loved ones became impossible to ignore.

When the psychiatrist said the word “schizophrenia,” I felt like everything I’d worked for collapsed.

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🧩 Diagnosis Doesn’t Mean Defeat

The idea that a person with schizophrenia can’t work is outdated and harmful. What’s true is that it takes more work—more self-awareness, more planning, and more trial and error—to find your path.

After trying multiple medications (some with side effects worse than the symptoms), I slowly began piecing my life back together. Therapy helped me understand my triggers. Medication helped reduce the most intense psychotic episodes. But what truly helped me feel human again was purpose.

And for me, that meant work.

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🔧 From Public Service to Gas Fitting: Reclaiming Purpose

When I returned to the workforce, I couldn’t jump right back into high-pressure finance. So I pivoted.

I became a gas fitting apprentice, learning a practical trade that required focus, routine, and tangible results. At first, I questioned if I could handle the pressure. What if I had symptoms on the job? What if someone found out?

But something unexpected happened: I excelled. I was meticulous. Reliable. Quietly proud of every pipe installed and every heater repaired.

💡Takeaway: People with schizophrenia often thrive in structured, detail-oriented work environments with supportive coworkers.

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🎓 Returning to University with Schizophrenia

After stabilizing, I felt a tug back toward my intellectual side. I enrolled in a business degree program, and yes—it terrified me.

Would I relapse under pressure? Could I compete with students half my age? Could I even concentrate long enough to pass?

The first semester was brutal. But with disability accommodations, support from professors, and a commitment to mental health, I made it through. Eventually, I earned my degree—proof that education is possible even with serious mental illness.

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🏢 Building a Career in Property Valuation

After graduation, I stepped into the world of property valuation. It was the perfect balance of analytical thinking and real-world application. I started in a small firm where I disclosed my diagnosis to a trusted supervisor. Their response?

Supportive. Professional. Human.

That understanding created a workplace where I could thrive. Over time, I worked my way up to senior valuer, handling high-stakes portfolios and leading projects. My attention to detail and methodical nature—traits often sharpened by managing schizophrenia—became assets, not liabilities.

✅ Tip for readers: Find companies with inclusive hiring practices and speak openly with a trusted manager. You don’t owe your diagnosis to everyone, but selective disclosure can make all the difference.

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💊 Managing Symptoms at Work

Let’s be clear: schizophrenia didn’t “go away” when I got the job.

There were—and still are—bad days. I’ve dealt with hallucinations in the middle of a task. I’ve had to step outside, breathe, regroup, and sometimes take a mental health day.

But I’ve also learned coping strategies that allow me to keep going:

• Structured routines: Predictability helps stabilize symptoms.
• Meditation and mindfulness: Grounding practices during stressful moments.
• Medication management: With regular check-ins and honest conversations with my psychiatrist.
• Self-advocacy: Letting employers know what accommodations help me succeed.

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🧠 Fighting the Stigma at Work

Perhaps the hardest part wasn’t the illness—but the stigma.

Too many people think schizophrenia means “dangerous,” “incapable,” or “unreliable.” I internalized those ideas for years. But eventually, I decided to push back by simply living fully and visibly. I now share my story openly, not just to promote my book, but to educate and humanize this condition.

One colleague once told me, “Jeff, you’re the most disciplined person I know.” That moment shattered years of self-doubt.

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💬 Final Thoughts: You Can Build a Career with Schizophrenia

If you’ve been diagnosed with schizophrenia or know someone who has, please know this:

• You are not broken.
• You can still have purpose.
• You can work. You can learn. You can grow.

A career with schizophrenia doesn’t have to be a fantasy. It can be real. It takes resilience, support, and adaptation—but it is possible.

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📘 Want to Read My Full Story?

My memoir, Schizophrenia Didn’t Kill Me, is now available on Kindle via Amazon. It’s a raw, honest account of breakdown, recovery, and the long, winding road back to purpose.

If you or someone you love is navigating schizophrenia, I hope it offers hope, clarity, and strength.