Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?
Embracing Autism/Mental Health WorldwideAutism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition affecting millions worldwide, characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Despite increasing recognition, there remains a lack of understanding and awareness about the condition.Mental health encompasses a range of conditions impacting emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting millions globally. It includes disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis. Schizophrenia is marked by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, while psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality, often presenting with similar symptoms. Despite growing awareness, stigma and misconceptions about mental health, particularly schizophrenia and psychosis, persist, underscoring the need for greater understanding and support.From celebrating neurodiversity to breaking down stigma, we create a safe space for listeners to learn, grow, and feel seen. Whether you're on the spectrum, a caregiver, or an advocate, join our global community for inspiring conversations and empowering resources that uplift and unite. Tune in to embrace understanding, healing, and hope worldwide!Together, we can create a more informed and compassionate society for individuals with Autism and Mental Illness.
Episodes
Leanna May Franklin shares her journey as a mental health advocate after her son experienced a psychotic break at age 19, revealing the challenges of navigating care even with resources and professional expertise.
• Experienced a life-changing moment when her son had a psychotic breakdown during a family gathering
• Recognized signs that she initially thought were typical teenage behaviors but were early symptoms of mental illness
...
"Why Not Me?" podcast expands its mission to embrace both autism and mental health worldwide, creating a platform for raw, authentic storytelling that inspires and connects.
Host Tony Mantor welcomes listeners to join a global movement fostering awareness, acceptance, and understanding through powerful personal narratives.
• Broadcasting from Nashville, Tennessee with a mission to share powerful stories
• Expanding focu...
Cindy Murphy shares the heartbreaking story of her son Tristan, who struggled with schizophrenia and died by suicide while incarcerated after being handed a chainsaw during a prison work detail.
Through her grief, Cindy has become a powerful advocate for mental health reform in the criminal justice system, working to pass the Tristan Murphy Act in Florida.
• Tristan developed schizophrenia in his 30s, unusually late co...
Ann Corcoran, Executive Director of the National Shattering Silence Coalition, discusses the broken systems that fail those with serious mental illness and their families through discriminatory practices and neglect.
She shares powerful stories of families desperately seeking help for loved ones in psychosis, highlighting how outdated laws and policies create barriers to treatment until tragedy strikes.
• Explaining th...
Laura Craciun shares her son's harrowing journey with serious mental illness and the systemic failures that criminalize mental health conditions instead of treating them.
Her story highlights the urgent need for better policies to support individuals with psychosis and their families.
• Laura's son was misdiagnosed with ADHD before eventually being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age 20
• Cannabis use potenti...
Lynn Nanos, a mobile psychiatric emergency social worker with 15+ years experience, shares insights on evaluating and helping people with serious mental illness in crisis situations.
Her work bridges the gap between law enforcement and mental healthcare, providing crucial interventions for individuals experiencing psychosis and other mental health emergencies.
• Conducts psychiatric evaluations in various settings incl...
Geri Clark, Resource and Advocacy Manager at Treatment Advocacy Center, shares her devastating journey of losing her son to severe mental illness while navigating a broken treatment system that wouldn't help until it was too late. She reveals critical gaps in our mental health system and explains how legal barriers, misunderstood medical conditions, and insufficient family support create deadly consequences for those ...
Sheriff Donna Buckley shares her journey from attorney to becoming the first female sheriff in Barnstable County's 333-year history, along with her innovative approach to transforming incarceration through mental health support, comprehensive case management, and post-release services.
• Buckley's background as legal counsel representing public employees, including police officers and educators
• How the prevalence of m...
Jason McKenzie shares his heart-wrenching journey through grief after losing his wife to suicide and his daughter to trauma-induced mental health struggles. His story reveals how childhood trauma ripples through generations and how he found healing through sobriety, purposeful grief work, and helping others.
• Lost his police officer wife to suicide after years battling mental health issues stemming from childhood trau...
Eric Diaz shares his journey of living with schizoaffective disorder and becoming an advocate for those with serious mental illness.
Through finding the right medication, supportive communities, and creative outlets, Eric transformed from someone who couldn't leave his house to a published author helping others navigate similar challenges.
• Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teenager but initially lacked ins...
Crystal Fox shares her heartbreaking journey as the mother of a son with schizophrenia and co-founder of Arizona Mad Moms, an organization supporting families of loved ones with degenerative brain illnesses causing psychosis. Through her dual perspective as both a parent and a psychiatric nurse with 30 years of experience, Crystal illuminates the critical gaps in our mental healthcare system.
• Anosognosia is a symptom...
Cohen Miles-Rath shares his powerful journey from psychosis and incarceration to becoming a mental health advocate and author.
His story reveals how proper support systems and personal determination transformed a life-altering crisis into a mission of education and advocacy that's changing how we approach mental health treatment.
• Surviving untreated schizoaffective disorder that led to a psychotic episode and incarce...
Sherry Witwer, board president for CIT Utah, shares her insights on improving crisis response systems for people experiencing mental health emergencies and creating alternatives to incarceration through specialized training and community partnerships.
• CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training provides law enforcement with tools to effectively respond to mental health crises and connect individuals with appropriate trea...
Darrell Herrmann, a retired US Army captain and former computer programmer, shares his remarkable journey of living with schizophrenia since 1984 and his mission to help others with severe mental illness live better lives.
• Former US Army captain specializing in field artillery and nuclear weapons before developing schizophrenia
• Earned a computer science degree and worked as a programmer for 18 years after his milita...
Pete Early shares his journey from Washington Post journalist to mental health advocate after his son developed bipolar disorder, revealing how a broken system forces families into crisis before providing help.
• Diagnosis came during his son Kevin's college years with warning signs like "food doesn't taste good" and confusion about reality
• Psychiatrist delivered a devastating prognosis: "incurable disease" with lifet...
A mother shares her 18-year journey supporting a son with schizophrenia through mental health system failures, incarceration, and experimental brain surgery.
• Colleen Scott's son started showing signs of schizophrenia at age 17, withdrawing socially and exhibiting erratic behavior
• A prosecutor advised having her son arrested "to get him in the system" for mental health help, resulting in traumatic incarceration
• Laws...
A mother and clinical social worker shares her heartbreaking journey navigating the legal system after her high-achieving son developed serious mental illness, revealing how our justice system criminalizes rather than treats mental health conditions.
• Licensed independent clinical social worker with 40+ years experience working with vulnerable populations
• Her academically successful son began experiencing internal r...
Justin Volpe shares his journey from being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and incarcerated to becoming a certified recovery peer specialist who has trained over 3,500 police officers in crisis intervention.
His story demonstrates how individuals with lived experience can transform systems and save lives by bridging gaps between law enforcement, courts, and treatment providers.
• Diagnosed with schizoaffective ...
Jessica Ferguson shares the deeply personal story of her brother's struggle with serious mental illness and how systemic failures led to his incarceration after being accused of a triple homicide when he should have been in psychiatric care.
• Her brother had been stable with his mental illness for a decade before showing concerning behavior changes in early 2023
• Despite three psychiatric hospitalizations within month...
Dr. Jhilam Biswas, a board-certified adult and forensic psychiatrist, discusses how mental health issues intersect with the criminal justice system and the urgent need for reform.
She shares insights from her research and clinical experience working with incarcerated individuals with mental illness, explaining why mental health care in America's prisons is a humanitarian crisis.
• Director of Psychiatry Law and Society...
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