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Stigma surrounding schizophrenia can be devastating, especially when it comes from those closest to us. Today, I'm opening up about my journey living with paranoid schizophrenia and how I've learned to navigate the complex landscape of misconceptions, fear, and rejection that often accompanies this diagnosis.
What does it really take to build bridges of understanding between those who live with serious mental illness and those who don't? I share my "two-way street" approach—a method that acknowledges both the challenges faced by people with schizophrenia and the genuine confusion or discomfort experienced by others. Through personal stories of heartbreak and breakthrough moments, I explore how creating space for mutual understanding has transformed my relationships.
You'll discover powerful advocates fighting stigma through social media, learn about effective communication techniques like the LEAP method (Listen, Empathize, Agree, Partner), and gain insights into when it's worth investing your emotional energy—and when it might be healthier to step away. Whether you live with schizophrenia yourself, love someone who does, or simply want to be a more compassionate person, this episode offers practical wisdom for creating meaningful connections across the divide of misunderstanding. Subscribe to continue exploring mental health topics with honesty, vulnerability, and hope. If you found value in this conversation, please share it with someone who might benefit from hearing that recovery and connection are possible, even amid life's chaos.
#schizophrenia #PTSD #CPTSD #fightthestigma #SameHere
References:
“Schizophrenia As I Live It,” https://dianadirkbywrites.com/schizophrenia-as-i-live-it-audio/
“Fractured Ink: Writing in Life’s Chaos,” https://dianadirkbywrites.com/fractured-ink-living-in-lifes-chaos/
Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance: https://sczaction.org/
Michelle Hammer: https://www.schizophrenic.nyc and Instagram: @schizophrenic.nyc
Kodi Green: @schizophrenichippie
LEAP Institute: https://leapinstitute.org/
D.I.D. is not schizophrenia: https://dianadirkbywrites.com/schizophrenia-is-not-d-i-d/ and https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186769/episodes/13281028-schizophrenia-is-not-dissociative-identity-disorder-d-i-d
Books: “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help,” 20th Anniversary Edition by Xavier Amador https://amzn.to/43AAmJl, “The Overlife, A Tale Of Schizophrenia,” by Diana Dirkby https://amzn.to/3ZX8TPA and “Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies,” by Diana Dirkby https://amzn.to/45fAOxY #ad #commissionsearned These links to these three books on Amazon are Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
My website and social media
https://dianadirkbywrites.com (fiction writing)
https://aussiemathematician.io/ (mathematics)
My Instagram: @dianadirkby_writings (https://www.instagram.com/dianadirkby_writings/)
My Facebook Page: Diana Dirkby Writings (
Diana Dirkby and I live withparanoid schizophrenia, CPTSD
and PTSD.
I will focus on schizophreniatoday.
I'm the author of the audiopodcast series Schizophrenia as
I Live it, which is still livebut now finished as I have
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transitioned to the currentpodcast, Fractured Ink: Writing
in Life's Chaos, which willevolve on a broader canvas.
That doesn't mean I have had mylast word on schizophrenia.
It will be the theme in thiscurrent podcast.
Today I want to talk aboutresponding to stigma.
Many people like me live withschizophrenia and have
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experienced heartbreak due tothe stigma surrounding this
mental illness.
The most powerful campaignagainst the unfair treatment of
individuals with schizophreniaby law enforcement and
government involves organising,educating and lobbying by a
group strong enough to affectsweeping changes that improve
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outcomes for those living withthis condition.
Mental health advocacy groupsserve as prime examples In
supporting people withschizophrenia.
The Schizophrenia and PsychosisAction Alliance stands out.
I have provided their webaddress in the episode
description.
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As I mentioned in anotherpodcast episode, there are
individuals on social media wholive with schizophrenia and
fight stigma against it byposting facts and personal
experiences.
These brave individuals aresucceeding in building followers
and fostering debate withpeople who sincerely want to
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understand schizophrenia better.
That understanding fightsstigma.
I'll give just a few examplesfrom Instagram.
One of the most successful atfighting against stigma on
Instagram is Michelle Hammer,who lives with schizophrenia and
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has designed a line of clothingwith logos educating people
about mental illness.
Her website is in the episodedescription.
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Her Instagram handle is@schizophrenic.
nyc, where she untiringlyeducates and shares.
She even has cameras in herapartment to show people how
safe she is, including at home.
Another example of an Instagramaccount that stands out is
@schizophrenich ippie, run byKody Green, who lives with
schizophrenia.
It's also in the episodedescription.
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How does one find such handles?
Type #schizophrenia into theInstagram search bar.
You first see a succinctdefinition of schizophrenia by
Meta AI.
Then, below that, are examplesof posts by people discussing
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schizophrenia.
You can browse those to get youstarted on an account where
schizophrenia is honestly shared.
Not every topic is so organised.
If you search back hashtagCPTSD, there is just a list of
some accounts, but if you searchhashtag PTSD, you find a result
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as well organised as hashtagschizophrenia.
In the last episode I spokeabout living with schizophrenia
and CPTSD.
I also have PTSD from aseparate incident, but that's
for another time, as I want tostick to schizophrenia today.
Unfortunately, it's notnecessarily true that if you
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properly educate someone, theywill drop all stigma against
schizophrenia.
Some of these individuals mayeven be in your family.
Some of my family members seeno reason to risk anything by
including me in their circle.
The word schizophrenia isenough to keep them away, even
if they know nothing about itother than the false stereotypes
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presented in poorly made TVshows or movies.
If you can manage it, I suggestavoiding such people.
They don't want youranti-stigma education.
They don't want to know.
They don't want to see you ortalk to you.
Don't let that attitude win byallowing it to break your heart,
as I have foolishly done onseveral occasions.
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Not everyone is like this.
Others will genuinely want tobe your friend.
As I have seen on social mediaand as I know from my experience
, some people are receptive tothe idea that they need to know
more about schizophrenia, sincethey like you and want to learn
how to cope with your diagnosisonce it's revealed to them,
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either by your behaviour orbecause you tell them.
Whether they be family orfriends, if they seek this
exchange of question and answer,they will form the most
reliable relationship forsomeone living with
schizophrenia.
Of course, some people willstick by you because they
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genuinely love you.
However, if you can educatethem about the stigma against
schizophrenia and how it arises,your bond will be even
healthier and stronger.
So what is the two-way street Irefer to in the title of this
episode?
I mean individuals, not mentalhealth advocacy groups.
To effectively combat stigma,we must understand why a person
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exercises stigma againstschizophrenia and what feelings
and thoughts drive them to sucha prejudicial stance.
Before educating them, we needto know where they stand.
That is our advance down thetwo-way street.
It's not just about how I amfeeling, it's about how they are
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feeling too.
For example, during many of myrelapses I have behaved in a
manner that people don'trecognize because they have
never seen me manifest symptoms.
Once I realize I'm symptomatic,I need to give anyone trying to
deal with me the space tounderstand me.
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Under relapse, with some peopleI have found that saying I live
with schizophrenia and here aresome of the symptoms is enough,
and I have been surprised by thequick turnaround from fear to
acceptance by such people.
Some even say thanks forsharing that you live with
schizophrenia.
Now we understand that you arebehaving weirdly because of that
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diagnosis.
Tell us more.
By meeting stigma head-on withsuch people, the two-way street
is me allowing for ignorance andknowing the stigmatizers well
enough to trust a head-onexplanation as the best avenue
to meeting and talking on ourtwo-way street.
However, we can't expect thingsto go so well with everyone.
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I already suggested that if youlive with schizophrenia, then
you don't waste stress andeffort on those who don't want
to meet you even a little bit ofthe way down a two-way street.
In some cases, some learn youlive with schizophrenia or
witness some of your symptomsand want to do the right thing.
However, they don't know whatthe right thing is.
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I have already written in myblog and discussed in my podcast
Schizophrenia as I Live it, theLEAP method, l-e-a-p, which can
be highly effective if youactively want to help someone
with schizophrenia.
It's a way of forging a two-waystreet that will provide a
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positive result for both parties.
To refresh your memory, theLEAP method, developed by
psychologist Dr Xavier Amador,is a communication approach
designed to help families andmental health professionals
connect with and supportindividuals with mental illness,
even when those individuals areresistant to treatment or deny
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that they have a problem.
It involves four coreprinciples, listen, empathize,
agree and partner.
The LEAP method is bestunderstood through the books of
Amador and the resourcesavailable at the LEAP Institute.
His book I Am Not Sick, I Don'tNeed Help is a comprehensive
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guide.
The LEAP Institute websiteoffers further information,
including videos and trainingmaterials.
I'll give the website in theepisode description.
For the LEAP method to beeffective, there has to be a
two-way street where thestigmatized and the person
wanting to help them withoutstigma walk towards each other
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and meet in the middle with apowerful result.
Sometimes, individuals livingwith schizophrenia encounter
people who accept them but areuncomfortable with their
diagnosis.
These individuals may believethey do not hold stigma and they
might even mistakenly feelknowledgeable about
schizophrenia.
If this person is someone youvalue, it's essential to create
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space for their discomfort,since it is a genuine feeling,
and to keep working towardhelping them feel comfortable
with you.
The best way to achieve this isthrough education.
However, they might not beinclined to read numerous books
or follow relevant social mediaaccounts.
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Instead, they may be more opento watching a film like A
Beautiful Mind, which tells thestory of the mathematical genius
John Nash, who lived withschizophrenia and ultimately won
the Nobel Prize.
There are other media aboutdifferent types of mental
illness, like the Apple TVseries the Crowded Room about
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DID, which is dissociativeidentity disorder.
The movie All About Eve from1950 also features dissociative
identity disorder.
This disorder is often confusedwith schizophrenia.
I blogged about this confusionon July 22nd 2024, and did a
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podcast episode about it on July24th 2024.
Web references for theseepisodes are provided in the
episode description.
That is my two-way street.
Try to put yourself in theshoes of someone exercising
stigma against schizophrenia tosee if there is a way to forge a
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path where they can putthemselves in your shoes.
Thanks for listening orwatching, if you're on YouTube.
Don't forget to check out mynovel, The Overlife A Tale of
Schizophrenia, which is about amother and daughter living with
schizophrenia.
Thank you, bye, bye.