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 Bio

Kody 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 Hosts

Rachel 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

Up to 80% of people with schizophrenia aren't aware they're experiencing early schizophrenia symptoms. Most people with schizophrenia go through a prodromal stage, where there's subtle changes in mood, thinking, and behavior. It's an evolution of the symptoms to come.

Early indicators vary based on the age they start. An adult who develops schizophrenia will experience different signs than a child who develops the condition.

Host Rachel Star Withers and cohost Gabe Howard explore the early signs of schizophrenia in children, teens, and adults.

Joining to discuss the future of identifying biomarkers for schizophrenia is Carlos Larrauri, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who also lives with schizophrenia. Mr. Larrauri co-chairs the steering committee for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ), which is working to identify early indicators of schizophrenia.

To learn more about the research AMP SCZ is undertaking, please visit www.ampscz.org.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Our guest, Carlos A. Larrauri, MSN, is co-chair of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) and has formerly served on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and NAMI Miami-Dade County Board of Directors. Diagnosed with schizophrenia at 23 years old, access to quality mental health care, community-based treatment, and early intervention afforded him the best opportunity for recovery.

Mr. Larrauri is pursuing a law degree at the University of Michigan Law School and a concurrent master in public administration at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was Zuckerman Fellow at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. He’s board certified as a family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and formerly lectured at the University of Miami and Miami Dade College.

Mr. Larrauri aspires to interface advocacy and research to reduce health inequities for people living with mental illness. To learn more about Carlos and his work, visit his website or his LinkedIn.

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® (AMP®) program—Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a public-private partnership between the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and multiple public and private organizations.

Launched in 2020 and managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the AMP SCZ program addresses the critical need for more effective treatments for people with schizophrenia and related mental health conditions.

The overarching aim is to improve our understanding of disease pathways and identify new and better targets for treatment.

Our host, Rachel 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.

Our cohost, 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

Hope is a crucial element that can significantly influence recovery for people with schizophrenia. It offers a pathway to resilience, empowerment, and a fulfilling life.

However, schizophrenia is a disabling psychiatric condition that impacts 1% of people worldwide and ranks among the top ten global causes of disability. It can be difficult to remain hopeful with statistics like that.

Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard explore how to find hope with a schizophrenia diagnosis in this episode of Inside Schizophrenia.

Our guest, Christopher Grant, a Mi'gmaw filmmaker and artist who lives with schizophrenia, joins. His work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and film festivals internationally. He is also known on TikTok as XO Rad Magical, where he has over 1.5 million followers. There, he has created schizophrenia simulators of what he experiences.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

This episode is sponsored, in part, by Cornbread Hemp. They produced the first-ever USDA-certified organic CBD and THC gummies in America. Save 30% on your first order using code "Inside30."

Christopher Grant is a Mi’gmaw filmmaker from Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick. Inspired by the intense absurdity of life and death, Chris animates to express the humor and terror of existence. He has worked with the NFB’s Hothouse project, and his work has been exhibited at galleries, museums, and film festivals internationally. He is also known for his role on TikTok as XORADMAGICAL, where he creates art and answers questions relating to his experiences with schizophrenia in daily life.

https://linktr.ee/xoradmagical

Our host, Rachel 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.

Our co-host, 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

From smartphones to tablets, apps, and health tracking devices, technology has the ability to change the way schizophrenia is treated and challenge dated thoughts on how people with schizophrenia use technology in our daily lives. In this episode of Inside Schizophrenia, host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard, review the top 4 schizophrenia-related smartphone apps and explore what’s holding technology innovations back in the area of schizophrenia treatment. CNET senior editor, Alison DeNisco Rayome, who leads the series Tech For A Better World, joins to highlight recent advancements in the realm of technology evolution for people with disabilities.

To learn more, visit the official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Alison DeNisco Rayome is a senior editor at CNET and leads the series Tech For A Better World. CNET’s Tech for A Better World highlights the growing diversity of the technology ecosystem, and the people who are creating products to improve our lives and our communities.

About the Inside Schizophrenia Podcast Host

Rachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage, and let others like her know they’re 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.” Learn more at RachelStarLive.com.

About the Inside Schizophrenia Podcast Co-Host

Gabe Howard lives with bipolar disorder and is a nationally recognized speaker and podcast host. He is the author of the book, “Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations,” available from Amazon; signed copies available directly from the author. To learn more about Gabe, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isolation is a symptom of schizophrenia. Being homeless is isolating yourself from society, which is the extreme manifestation of the mental health condition. Host Rachel Star Withers and Cohost Gabe Howard explore how delusions, isolation, and hallucinations can lead to homelessness. Guest Bethany Yeiser shares her 4-year experience being homeless due to her schizophrenia. Learn more about Ms. Yeiser at https://www.bethanyyeiser.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices