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September 6, 2024 8 mins

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Struggling to find the perfect way to consume books while managing the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia? Join me, Diana Dirkby, as I unravel the complexities of reading with visual and auditory hallucinations and why audiobooks have become my sanctuary. Discover my personal journey from battling the chaos of jumbled words on a page to finding comfort in the soothing cadence of a narrator's voice. Gain insight into how these auditory experiences provide a much-needed escape and allow me to stay connected to the stories I love, even when my symptoms are at their peak.

I also open up about my writing process, sharing how creating fiction remains a therapeutic outlet amidst the challenges of schizophrenia. Hear about the transformation of my novel "The Overlife: A Tale of Schizophrenia" into an engaging audiobook, and the meticulous selection of the perfect narrator to bring my story to life. Whether you’re managing similar symptoms or curious about the intersection of mental health and literature, this episode offers a heartfelt exploration of resilience, creativity, and the power of storytelling in all its forms.

#DianaDirkby #TheOverlife #A TaleofSchizophrenia #Schizophrenia #MentalIllness #FamilyDynamics #CaregiverBurden #Resilience #Hope #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthStigma #Strength #Love #Compassion #SecondChance #Transformation #Fiction #MentalHealthPortrayal #FamilyStruggles #EmotionalTurmoil #PoignantStory #GrippingNarrative #UnforgettableCharacters #MustReadBook #Amazon

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Diana Dirkby (00:00):
Hello, my name is Diana Dirkby and I live with
paranoid schizophrenia.
You are listening to my podcastSchizophrenia as I Live it.
Regular listeners will knowthat I have written two fiction
novels recently.
One has appeared and isentitled the Overlife A Tale of
Schizophrenia, by Diana Dirkby.

(00:22):
You can buy it from Amazon.
com.
The second book is about toappear and is entitled Three
Kidnapped, hree Siblings, threeFuries, by Diana Dirkby.
The first book is available asa paperback, a Kindle book and
an audiobook, for example on theapp Audible.

(00:42):
The same will be valid for thesecond book.
That sent me to think about thefollowing question: If I am
struggling with my schizophreniasymptoms, is it easier to read
a book or is it better to listento an audiobook?
By reading a book, I includereading an e-book.
As I have described in earlierpodcast episodes, I suffer from

(01:09):
both auditory and visualhallucinations.
When I am living withschizophrenia symptoms that are
not under control, due perhapsto too much stress or a need for
my medication to be adjusted,the auditory hallucinations are
usually more scary than thevisual ones.
Paradoxically, if I'm trying tofollow a book, I find it easier

(01:33):
to listen to it as an audiobookthan to read it on paper or an
e-reader.
The key reason for thisdifference is that my
schizophrenia jumbles words onthe page, and I describe what
that's like for the characterSarah in my novel, he Overlife.
It can become impossible to usemy computer as the screen seems

(01:56):
to melt in front of my eyes andthe words melt with it.
If I try to read a book, thewords jump about the page i If I
try to read a book, the wordsjump about the page and I can
only make sense of them singly.
Sometimes I only see theseparated letters of the words
and not the complete words.
By contrast, during periodswhen I have auditory

(02:19):
hallucinations, they usuallylast for a more limited time,
anything from a few minutes toan hour, which is not the case
with the visual problems.
They can go on for a whole day.
When the auditory hallucinationsare resting, I can enjoy
watching a movie, listening tomusic or hearing an audiobook.

(02:41):
Part of that enjoyment is therelief of understanding the
story or melody I hear.
In other words, the quality ofthe experience is better because
my auditory interpretation isperturbed overall, but I get
some rest from the non-existentnoise I hear and can even get
engrossed in the pleasurableexperience provided by a movie

(03:04):
or audiobook.
During periods when I ammanaging my schizophreniael wwW\
, what do I prefer?
The written word or listeningto a story via audiobook?
These are two very differentexperiences, both of which I
find pleasurable, and I oftenbuy the paperback or Kindle
version and the audio version ofa book I love.

(03:27):
Reading is an intimaterelationship between your
imagination and the book.
Listening to someone else reada book gives room for a
different interpretation of thewords than your own.
You have invited the book'snarrator into your private world
and have the pleasure ofsharing and listening to a book
come to life through someoneelse's interpretation.

(03:49):
To read, you must sit in achair or lie in bed, and do only
that.
An audiobook enables you to dosomething other than focus just
on the book while it is read.
You may take a bath, forexample, or a walk.
You may ask if I have writtentwo books recently, How was that
possible?
With schizophrenia, the answeris that I find writing more

(04:13):
accessible than both reading andlistening, even when I am ill.
While writing, I control thewords, whereas when I try to
read, the words control me.
My two recent books have beenwritten during a p, which helps
tremendously.
I am always writing but timinga project like a book, I have to

(04:36):
take into account my mentalhealth.
So what is best for you readingor listening?
A few words about my experiencemaking he Overlife into an
audiobook.
I made it by partnering withAmazon.
Before beginning the project,they sent me a collection of
short audio recordings ofdifferent voices and asked me to

(05:00):
choose one for my book.
As my book is set in Australia,I insisted on an Australian
accent for my narrator.
I am so glad I did.
The narrator I chose is WendyMomin, and she does a fabulous
job.
We worked together in that sherecorded some chapters and then
sent them to me so I couldreview them with the written

(05:22):
book to check for errors.
There was a lot of back andforth, but we worked well
together.
To my joy and excitement, endymade my book come to life and I
experienced listening to thebook through someone else's eyes
who understood its goals.
You can look at the audiobookon the Audible app and many
other platforms.

(05:42):
I'm looking forward to makingmy second book into an audiobook
.
Thank you for listening.
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