Are you having trouble with mental illness or are you really good at managing it?Humor can heal or hurt. Is schizophrenia something to joke about? Should you make jokes about mental illness? Schizophrenia is a very serious topic, but it can be exhausting to be serious all the time.Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard find the humor in having schizophrenia in this episode of Inside Schizophrenia. TikTok star comedian Kody Green joins to share his journey that includes addiction, incarceration, schizophrenia, and comedy.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page.Guest BioKody Green (He/Him) is 28 years old with a diagnosis of undifferentiated schizophrenia. Kody is also the founder of a nonprofit, a motivational speaker, and content creator with over 1 million followers across social media platforms. He has struggled in the past with drug addiction, incarceration, and serious mental health issues.In order to be a better advocate and speaker, Kody has been trained as a peer support specialist, recovery coach, and suicide prevention specialist.Now, Kody shares his stories about his struggles and how to navigate through recovery, mental health issues, and life after incarceration. He chooses to pursue motivational speaking and mental health advocacy for schizophrenia awareness, drug recovery, and second- chance opportunities because he has dealt with these struggles in his own life. "After my release from incarceration and my schizophrenia diagnosis, I thought there was nothing left for me. When I started sharing my story online, I did not think anyone would care. After gaining 1 million followers on social media, I realized how my struggles and my story could help others.”Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.comm.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people worldwide. But does schizophrenia present the same way in every country? How do culture, religion, tradition, or even politics influence the presentation of schizophrenia?Cross-cultural awareness of psychiatric symptoms helps us to understand our ever-changing global society. In today’s episode, hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard explore studies and cases across the world and throughout history to discover how culture influences schizophrenia and its treatment.Joining is guest Nidhi Sinha, a final year PhD student in psychology who has been researching thematic analysis of individual experiences of audio hallucinations in India.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the episode page.Guest BioNidhi Sinha is a final year PhD student in cognitive psychology at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), where she is exploring the affective, cognitive, and cultural cues of subclinical depression. She is also a visiting researcher at the Cognitive Science lab, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, India. As a former CBT psychologist, Nidhi has worked with people with mental health conditions, providing therapy and support. Her current research focuses on improving the psychometric properties of existing diagnostic systems while exploring the subjective experiences of people with mental health conditions, such as psychosis and depression. Nidhi believes that understanding the social, political, and cultural factors of mental illness is crucial in developing effective diagnostic and intervention methods. She advocates introducing indigenous and traditional healing practices, such as meditation and yoga, to name a few. Her work on mental disorders (qualitative and quantitative) has been published and presented in top national and international journals and conferences.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.comm.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the scariest things about schizophrenia is the very beginning, getting that diagnosis and learning that you — or a person that you love — has a lifelong serious mental illness. Especially in the beginning, it can be a difficult thing to accept. In fact, many people reject the idea that they're sick at all, often choosing to think, “Hey, I have a problem, but I don't need help” instead.However, accepting a diagnosis of schizophrenia is the first step to getting treatment, which is the first step toward living a full and fulfilling life.Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard share their personal journeys coming to acceptance of their diagnosis and ways that family, friends, and caregivers can help their loved ones in this episode of Inside Schizophrenia. Guest Leif Gregersen, writer, teacher, and public speaker living with schizoaffective disorder, joins to discuss his journey of accepting his diagnosis and his need for treatment.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioLeif Gregersen is a writer, teacher, and public speaker living with schizoaffective disorder. He currently has twelve books in print, three of which are memoirs of his lived experience with mental illness. His most recent book, "Alert and Oriented x3: A Snapshot of a Severe Psychosis" is available as a free download from his website, www.edmontonwriter.com.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.comm.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for people with schizophrenia, especially those with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, it’s not often brought up as an option for treatment.Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard explore Rachel’s own past treatment with ECT, the intense side effect of memory loss, and why ECT is not being offered to more people with schizophrenia.Today’s guest is “Ashley” who is currently undergoing electroconvulsive therapy and shares her journey of navigating ECT while being a mother.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest Bio“Ashley” has schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. She had a series of acute ECT treatments 4 years ago and has been receiving maintenance treatments ever since.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.comm.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are some people with schizophrenia able to live alone and others can’t? Why do some seem to recover while others have symptoms that persist for their entire lives? Why is suicide the leading cause of premature death in people with schizophrenia?Many people say the answer lies in psychological resilience. So, does that mean some people have more psychological resilience than others? Does having a mental disorder mean your brain is less resilient to start with?Hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard explore the concept of psychological resilience and how it is connected to living with schizophrenia.Dr. Nicole Washington, a psychiatrist and the co-host of Healthline’s Inside Bipolar, joins to give a medical perspective on psychological resilience.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioDr. Nicole Washington is an ABMS board certified psychiatrist and the chief medical officer of Elocin Psychiatric Services, a primarily virtual practice where she focuses on the mental health needs of the busy professional. Dr. Washington has spent most of her career caring and advocating for people who aren’t typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities and high-performing professionals.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a family member receives a schizophrenia diagnosis, it can dramatically change the dynamics of your family. For example, one-third of people with schizophrenia live with a family member. Families can provide emotional support, financial support, and advocate for better treatment options.Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard explore how schizophrenia can affect family dynamics in this episode of Inside Schizophrenia. Guest Elfy Scott joins. She is the author of “The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About: Exposing Our Untold Mental Health Crisis,” a book that focuses on the silence and stigma that still surrounds complex mental health conditions. She shares her experiences growing up in a family with a parent who lived with schizophrenia.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioElfy Scott is an award-winning freelance journalist, presenter, and producer. Her book, “The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About: Exposing Our Untold Mental Health Crisis,” is an investigation into the failings of Australia’s mental healthcare system, grounded in a personal story of a mother-daughter relationship.Elfy grew up in a household where her mother’s schizophrenia was rarely, if ever, spoken about. They navigated this silence outside the family home too; for many years, this complex mental health condition was treated as an open secret.Over the past two decades, we have started talking more about common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. But complex conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis have been left behind, as have many of the people who live with these conditions and those who care for them.Part memoir, part deep-dive investigation, “The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About” is filled with rage at how Australia’s public discourse, emergency services, and healthcare systems continue to fail so many people. It is also a work of care, telling the little-heard stories of people who live with these conditions and work at the front lines of mental health. Above all, this timely, compelling book is informed by hope and courage, breaking down taboos and asking big questions about vulnerability, justice, and duty of care.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coping techniques used by people with schizophrenia account for a 25% variance in their quality of life. Unfortunately, people who have psychotic disorders tend to use predominantly harmful or ineffective coping techniques. Hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard are seeking to change that by sharing coping techniques for managing schizophrenia and help people understand why effective coping techniques can be life changing. Guest Michelle Mariscal joins who blogs about her journey with schizophrenia and shares some coping techniques she has found to work for her over the years.To learn more, or read the transcript, visit the official episode page.Guest BioMichelle Mariscal holds a master’s in psychology, a bachelor’s in sociology, and has much life experience dealing with a serious mental health disorder.She resides on the Central Coast in California with her husband of 30 years, 4 children, and her granddaughter.Read her blog by clicking here.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostsRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a connection between intelligence and schizophrenia? Are people with schizophrenia more likely to have higher or lower IQs than the general population?In today’s episode of Inside Schizophrenia, host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard explore the current views around the connection between intelligence and having schizophrenia.Author Steven Paul Lansky joins to share his new book “The Break,” a memoir about one of his schizophrenic breaks from reality.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioSteven Paul Lansky was raised by a loving family in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up sailing and bicycling and was unaware of how he would become an artist, harmonica player, and world traveler. First diagnosed with schizophrenia after his freshman year at Harvard, where he had been admitted at age 17, Lansky found art in psychiatric hospitals. He discovered his alcoholism in psychiatric treatment with the help of a generous writer with whom he apprenticed in his late 20s. By then, he had regional notoriety for his urban poetry. At 30, he began a career working with people with mental health conditions, at first as a vocational rehabilitation supervisor and later as a field-worker. During this time, he hosted a weekly radio show on a local NPR affiliate where he shared spoken word and music. In his early 40s, he earned an MA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in creative writing. Since then, he has taught writing, traveled, and published six books, including the audio novel “Jack Acid,” available on Spotify and Apple Music. As he was retiring, he earned an MFA from the low-residency creative writing program at the University of Tampa. “The Break” is Steve Lansky’s harrowing and comic account of his descent into madness after he changed the medication he took to keep his schizophrenia in check. Written with a poet’s eye for detail and great sensitivity and insight, it follows his quixotic quest to find love and literary success while trying to navigate a world that was not designed for people like him.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Inside Schizophrenia Co-HostGabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peer support is an often ignored option in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, connecting with people who have lived similar experiences and are trained to share their knowledge, mention the things that they've gone through, and offer emotional, social and even practical support can be inspiring to someone learning to manage their schizophrenia. Sometimes it is as simple as knowing you are not alone.Hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard explore ways that peer support can help people with schizophrenia.Juliet C. Dorris-Williams, Executive Director of The P.E.E.R. Center in Columbus, Ohio, joins to discuss what a huge impact a connection with a peer supporter can have.To learn more - or read the transcript - please visit the official episode page.Guest BioJuliet C. Dorris-Williams is the Executive Director of The P.E.E.R. Center in Columbus, Ohio. The P.E.E.R. Center is a nonprofit drop-in wellness, recovery, and support center. Like each of the staff members, Juliet is living in long-term recovery. She spent more than 2 decades working in state government (TN, IN, and OH) providing administrative oversight for HIV/STD prevention, minority health, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention programs, as well as direct client services in multiple social service settings. Juliet is the board treasurer of OhioPRO — Ohio Peer Recovery Organizations, a statewide organization dedicated to advocating for peer recovery organizations, and is a member of the Recovery Ohio Advisory Council, appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine. She has a BS in Psychology from Indiana State University, an MSW from the Indiana University School of Social Work at Indianapolis, and is an independently licensed social worker supervisor and Ohio Peer Supporter. Juliet is a published author and a podcast host.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators. To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Inside Schizophrenia Co-HostGabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can art be used in the treatment of schizophrenia? What about martial arts? Yoga? Horses?Therapy options like music therapy and sand play therapy are not meant to be main forms of treatment for schizophrenia. But, they are add-on therapies, also known as adjunctive therapies, that can be incorporated as a part of your treatment strategy.One of these therapies that has become more popular in recent years is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Deborah Korn, a clinical psychologist and coauthor of “Every Memory Deserves Respect: EMDR, the Proven Trauma Therapy with the Power to Heal,” joins to explain how EMDR is being used to help people with schizophrenia.Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard explore different add-on therapies and discuss which ones are shown to help schizophrenia in this episode.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioDeborah L. Korn, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is on the faculties of the EMDR Institute in California and the Trauma Research Foundation in Boston. She is an EMDR International Association-approved consultant and presents and consults internationally on the treatment of adult survivors of childhood abuse and neglect.She is the Coauthor of “Every Memory Deserves Respect: EMDR, the Proven Trauma Therapy with the Power to Heal.” Learn more at www.everymemorydeservesrespect.com.Inside Schizophrenia Podcast HostRachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.Inside Schizophrenia Co-HostGabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices