In this episode, listeners tell us what's on their minds and we answer as best we can. We talk about anosognosia, incarceration, psychotic delusions, what we would have done differently if we'd known then what we know now, and lots more.

We open with a poem by a listener who is diagnosed with SZ:
Dale Walsh Poem - “I am a recovered reaching out help lessen the challenges encountered by family caregivers”

Source Of My Unique Thinking

Seeing laughter from challenged kid

Reminds me of all things I hid

About everything I did

And Joke I made was big mistake

As claim "I'm GOD" I did make

Which at last turned out to be fake

Though reason I sought out Godhead

Was due to a great sense of dread

I felt knowing I will be dead

At least physically one day

And so I found alternative way

To fight my body's slow decay

By saying I shall live forever

And pass into next life never

Not ready Earth ties to sever

So now I am guided by Lord

Who's my integrity restored

The ONE Whom I always adored.

4/28/24

National Poetry Month

Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/

Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/

Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

A new book, Awakenings, has just been released. It describes the journeys of 28 remarkable people who are now thriving despite being diagnosed with SZ. The authors and contributors hope to show that with newer treatments, and also social support and therapy, recovery is possible.

Guests:

Bethany Yeiser, President of CURESZ Foundation (https://curesz.org/) and co-author of the book. The CURESZ Foundation offers advocacy, information, advice, as well as educational and supportive resources to enhance the understanding of schizophrenia as a treatable neuropsychiatric illness

Leif Gregersen, from patient to hospital faculty

Lesley McCuaig, athlete and mental health counselor

J Peters, author and social worker

Each guest will share their stories, and the moms will ask questions.

Links:

Awakenings Book:

https://a.co/d/9fMt9oz

CURESZ:

https://curesz.org/

Bethany TEDx Talk:

https://youtu.be/iPGd6l76l9A?si=ZZI42ecdh24MxZkS

CURESZ YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@cureszfoundation7671

Here is Lesley's website:

www.lesleymccuaig.com

Leif's blog:

www.edmontonwriter.com

J Peters' blog

https://mentalhealthaffairs.blog/

Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/

Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/

Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Guest:

Annie Slease, Co-Founder of the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative

Do you have a loved one with Serious Mental Illness?

Do you wonder why it took so long for someone to recognize the symptoms?

Mental Health Literacy would have helped prevent the crises we have dealt with.

The mission of the MHLC is to make evidence-based mental health literacy a foundational part of PK-12 education and communities.

Annie Slease, M.Ed. (she/her) is co-founder and Advocacy Director of the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative (themhlc.org), a national non-profit dedicated to making evidence-based mental health literacy foundational in PK-12 schools and communities.

When her child’s mental health crisis emerged over a dozen years ago, Annie was a classroom teacher unaware of mental health literacy. Inspired by her experience navigating family mental illness without information or support, and eventually navigating the criminal justice system as well, Annie repurposed her 25-year teaching career into advocacy.

We ask:

What is the MHLC doing?

Who are you serving?

What are your priorities?

What can people do to get involved, or get information and help?

Links:

https://www.themhlc.org/

https://stillhopefulmom.blogspot.com/

Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/

Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/

Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/

Hosts:

Who:

Randye Kaye - was a morning Radio Personality bringing humor to CT families when her own son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now she is still a Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (Ben Behind his Voices, Happier Made Simple)

Miriam Feldman - is an artist, writer, and the mother of an adult son with schizophrenia. Her book, He Came in With It chronicles her family's story and was released to rave reviews on July 21st, 2020.

Mindy Greiling - Mindy Greiling was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. She helped found the nation's first state mental health caucus, which successfully lobbied for a significant increase in Minnesota's mental health funding Her acclaimed memoir is Fix What You Can.

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman