I never wanted to just sit around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee

Purpose Essay asks questions about people with schizophrenia and recovery. Design/methodology/approach The essay is written in an autoethnographic style. Findings The purpose of this paper is to portray the actual outcome for a person with schizophrenia, in the context of recovery and the achievement of independence. Research limitations/implications Statistics are from review of various sources and are compared with autoethnographic data. The implications are to confirm social exclusion for the cohort of people with schizophrenia. Practical implications Practical implications include the recognition of the unusual destinations for those with schizophrenia. Social implications Independence is a desirable and much espoused social outcome and yet so few people with schizophrenia are empowered in this way, meaning that they fail to share a social dialogue with many of their fellow citizens. Originality/value This essay details a struggle to live up to social norms which are hindered because of a life with schizophrenia.