Zig-Zag Boy: Mental Health and Motherhood with Tanya Frank
05/18/23 • 64 min
Dr. Dan speaks to writer and mother Tanya Frank about her new book ZIG-ZAG BOY: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. Tanya and Dr. Dan discuss Tanya’s compassionate, heartrending memoir about her quest to understand her son’s journey through psychosis.
One night in 2009, Tanya Frank finds her nineteen-year-old son, Zach—gentle and full of promise—in the grips of what the psychiatrists would later label a psychotic break. Suddenly, Tanya is thrown into a parallel universe: Zach’s world, where the phones are bugged, his friends have joined the Mafia, and helicopters are spying on his family. In the years following Zach’s various and changing psychiatric diagnoses, Tanya struggles to find support while navigating broken mental healthcare systems, first in California and then in her native London during lockdown.
Dr. Dan and Tanya discuss this compelling story about mental health and the power of a mother’s love. This episode is an important listen for May and Mental Health Awareness Month because the discussion will help families dealing with many diverse and difficult parenting experiences and circumstances.
Today’s show is a powerful and provocative exploration of love, acceptance, mental illness, and fear.
Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan [email protected] (we might answer on a future episode).
Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).
Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!
Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.
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Dr. Dan speaks to writer and mother Tanya Frank about her new book ZIG-ZAG BOY: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. Tanya and Dr. Dan discuss Tanya’s compassionate, heartrending memoir about her quest to understand her son’s journey through psychosis.
One night in 2009, Tanya Frank finds her nineteen-year-old son, Zach—gentle and full of promise—in the grips of what the psychiatrists would later label a psychotic break. Suddenly, Tanya is thrown into a parallel universe: Zach’s world, where the phones are bugged, his friends have joined the Mafia, and helicopters are spying on his family. In the years following Zach’s various and changing psychiatric diagnoses, Tanya struggles to find support while navigating broken mental healthcare systems, first in California and then in her native London during lockdown.
Dr. Dan and Tanya discuss this compelling story about mental health and the power of a mother’s love. This episode is an important listen for May and Mental Health Awareness Month because the discussion will help families dealing with many diverse and difficult parenting experiences and circumstances.
Today’s show is a powerful and provocative exploration of love, acceptance, mental illness, and fear.
Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan [email protected] (we might answer on a future episode).
Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).
Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!
Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.
For more information:
For podcast merch:
www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
Music and Children with Laurie Berkner
Dr. Dan interviews children’s entertainment and music superstar Laurie Berkner on today’s episode. Laurie is beloved by parents, children, and families worldwide. Kids and grownups love her music and they will surely adore her even more after listening to this personal interview.
With more than 1 billion total streams, an average of more than 22 million monthly streams, and millions of CDs and DVDs sold, People magazine calls Laurie “the queen of kids’ music,” and the Los Angeles Times says, “Laurie Berkner does what Fred Rogers did: respect, validate and reassure young children.” Laurie’s YouTube channel has received more than 350 million views. Laurie’s passion and creativity are singular and special - just like this episode!
Dr. Dan and Laurie discuss how her classroom experience with young children informs all of her music as well as the choices she has made throughout her career. During this conversation, Laurie talks about the important role of music in the life of the young child (and all children). She notes, “We are all born with music inside of us – from the beating of our hearts and the melodies of our voices to the intrinsic rhythm in our movements. The natural musicality of every child opens the door to playfulness, joy, and creativity.” Laurie’s work is focused on engaging the whole child, inspiring children to sing, move, and express their feelings. Dr. Dan and Laurie dive into a compelling discussion about singing, movement, feelings, and how music connects and heals us.
***Be sure to listen to the full episode because Laurie treats us to a musical performance!
Discover more about Laurie and her music (as well as her tour schedule) on her website www.laurieberkner.com.
Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan [email protected] (we might answer on a future episode).
Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).
Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!
Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.
For more information:
For podcast merch:
www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
Genealogy of a Murder with Lisa Belkin
In a nod to our favorite true-crime-comedy podcast My Favorite Murder (and podcast network), Dr. Dan interviews journalist Lisa Belkin about her brilliant true crime book Genealogy of a Murder. Lisa’s multigenerational tale of three families whose paths collide one summer night in 1960 with the murder of a police officer is at the core about a true crime in Lisa’s own family (does this qualify as a Hometown Murder Story Georgia? Karen?).
Dr. Dan and Lisa discuss how these family histories affected her own life as a daughter and as a parent. Lisa also talks to Dr. Dan about careers and parenting, her own early struggles as a new Mom, the role of her Dad during her childhood, and what led to her journalism career focus on life/work. Today’s conversation is riveting, real, enlightening, often surprising, and ultimately about how we become who we are.
An award-winning journalist, Lisa Belkin writes about American social issues. Her many roles at The New York Times included national correspondent, medical reporter, contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and creator of both the Life’s Work column and the Motherlode blog. She has served as a senior columnist at the HuffPost and chief national correspondent for Yahoo News. Belkin is the author of three books, including Show Me A Hero, which was made into a David Simon HBO miniseries with the same title. A graduate of Princeton University, Lisa teaches narrative nonfiction writing and reporting at the Columbia University School of Journalism. For more information visit Lisa’s website www.lisabelkin.com.
Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan [email protected] (we might answer on a future episode).
Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).
Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!
Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.
For more information:
For podcast merch:
www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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