Disclosing a Schizophrenia Diagnosis
12/15/21 • 57 min
If you live with schizophrenia, then disclosing that diagnosis is a decision you’re going to have to make multiple times throughout your life. But, do you have to? What are the pros and cons of disclosing at work, for example? What do you actually say, and to who, at your place of employment? Will it hurt your career?
Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, shares her personal story, thoughts, and tips, and interviews the retired executive director from Disability Rights Ohio and licensed attorney Michael Kirkman to help navigate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page here.
Guest Bio
Michael Kirkman, JD, spent over 40 years as an advocate for those whom society had cast aside, including poor and minority people and people with disabilities. As a lawyer who practiced at the highest levels, including the United States Supreme Court, and who was sought out for consultation with officials at the U.S. Departments of Justice and HHS, as well as state officials in Columbus, his work improved the lives of tens of thousands of people. Prior to his retirement, Kirkman was the executive director of Disability Rights Ohio (DRO), a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities. DRO is the federally mandated system to protect and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities (P&A) in Ohio. He previously served as the director and legal director of the Ohio Legal Rights Service, Ohio’s state agency P&A until 2012. Kirkman also served as President of the National Disability Rights Network from 2017 to 2020.
Inside Schizophrenia Podcast 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.
Inside Schizophrenia 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
If you live with schizophrenia, then disclosing that diagnosis is a decision you’re going to have to make multiple times throughout your life. But, do you have to? What are the pros and cons of disclosing at work, for example? What do you actually say, and to who, at your place of employment? Will it hurt your career?
Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, shares her personal story, thoughts, and tips, and interviews the retired executive director from Disability Rights Ohio and licensed attorney Michael Kirkman to help navigate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page here.
Guest Bio
Michael Kirkman, JD, spent over 40 years as an advocate for those whom society had cast aside, including poor and minority people and people with disabilities. As a lawyer who practiced at the highest levels, including the United States Supreme Court, and who was sought out for consultation with officials at the U.S. Departments of Justice and HHS, as well as state officials in Columbus, his work improved the lives of tens of thousands of people. Prior to his retirement, Kirkman was the executive director of Disability Rights Ohio (DRO), a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities. DRO is the federally mandated system to protect and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities (P&A) in Ohio. He previously served as the director and legal director of the Ohio Legal Rights Service, Ohio’s state agency P&A until 2012. Kirkman also served as President of the National Disability Rights Network from 2017 to 2020.
Inside Schizophrenia Podcast 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.
Inside Schizophrenia 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
Previous Episode
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Schizophrenia
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a proven treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions and emotional struggles, but many times is not used for treating schizophrenia. Schizophrenia’s symptoms of hallucinations and psychosis are assumed to be too complex for this type of therapy.
Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and co-host Gabe Howard, explore the types of CBT that best work for schizophrenia. Rachel breaks down her “Monster Technique” that she uses daily to help her deal with her visual hallucinations.
Guest Cornelia Larsson, licensed psychologist and psychotherapist, joins to talk in-depth about CBT techniques for dealing with audio hallucinations like hearing voices.
To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page here.
Guest Bio
Dr. Cornelia Larsson is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist who spent most of her career working in Swedish psychiatric clinics. Currently, she’s a doctoral student working toward her PhD by researching psychological treatments for psychosis, and is a course coordinator in psychotherapist education at Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm. She’s also a director of studies for the psychologists at the South-West Psychiatric Clinic in Region Stockholm and gives lectures mainly on cognitive behavior therapy and psychosis. Although Larsson has worked with individuals living with all sorts of psychiatric diagnoses during her career, her main focus the last 10 years have been on individuals living with psychosis and schizophrenia. Clinically, she has taken a special interest in helping individuals with distressing voices, who engage in frequent self-harm and suicide attempts, to change their relationships to their voices and thereby regain hope and quality of life.
Inside Schizophrenia Podcast 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.
Inside Schizophrenia 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
Next Episode
Inside the Hallucinations of Schizophrenia
What immediately comes to mind when you think of schizophrenia? Most people would say hallucinations. Hallucinations, at least according to pop culture, are the defining feature of schizophrenia. But is that true?
Today’s episode discusses how many people living with schizophrenia hallucinate and if hallucinations are all the same. Do people in different countries or from different backgrounds hallucinate differently? Join us to learn the answers to these questions and more!
Guest Bio
Paul Fitzgerald, PhD completed his medical degree at Monash University and subsequently a Master of Psychological Medicine whilst completing psychiatric training. He then undertook a Clinical and Research Fellowship at the University of Toronto and The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On returning to Melbourne, he worked as a psychiatrist and completed a PhD in transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenia. Since completing this PhD, he has developed a substantial research program including a team of over 25 psychiatrists, registrars, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, research nurses, and students.
Professor Fitzgerald runs a research program across both MAPrc and Epworth Clinic using brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional and structural MRI, EEG, and near infrared spectroscopy. The primary focus of this program is on the development of new brain stimulation-based treatments for psychiatric disorders. Visit him online at www.paulbfitzgerald.com.
Inside Schizophrenia Podcast 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.
Inside Schizophrenia 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
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