“Schizophrenia is not a death sentence. I’ve had a long prosperous life in a lot of ways. I’ve gotten a bachelor and masters from competitive programs. I’ve written 63 books. Maybe you have schizophrenia or somebody you love has schizophrenia, but it’s not a death sentence, you can have a normal life.”
Being just fine, in perfectly normal health, is such an incredible blessing that we all too frequently take for granted. It is only when we go through aches and pains, viruses and diseases that we really really consider how lucky we usually are. Yet, even with aches and pains there is one area of our health that is still taken for granted, and that is our mental health. Many of us have the fortune of going through our lives and dealing with a little bit of anxiety here, some depression there, but all in all our brains are wired for normal mental health. Today’s guest, Will Jiang, is not so lucky. While going to college he suffered a psychotic break that later got him diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Will will tell us all about what it is like inside the mind of someone with schizophrenia, and how he was eventually able to to thrive in spite of his condition.
“It’s hard to tease apart what is the disorder itself and what is actually the medication causing these problems.”
“About 50% of people with schizophrenia never get insight into the fact that what they’re seeing and hearing is on any level not real.”
Interview Contents
4:15 - An overview of schizophrenia.
7:45 - Do people with schizophrenia believe the hallucinations they see?
9:50 - Getting insight into his own condition.
11:10 - Will’s first psychotic break.
16:00 - Will’s first stay at a psyc hospital.
18:30 - Interacting with his family and friends during the stay at the hospital.
20:00 - Getting released from the hospital.
22:30 - Will’s relationship with his girlfriend at the time.
26:00 - Will’s success despite schizophrenia.
28:30 - The need for medication.
30:15 - Therapy and considering your condition.
33:00 - The science behind schizophrenia.
38:00 - Diet and nutrition for mental benefit.
44:30 - Lessons learned from a life with schizophrenia.
Links
A Schizophrenic Will (Will's Autobiography)
THIS EPISODE WAS MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Marcus Batson
Roxanna
Michelle & Jim Wortner
Janelle Swanson
Jimmy Seymour
