Schizophrenia: Breaking the Stigma, Understanding the Mind
[Music] Welcome everyone. We’re so glad you made the choice to watch our show this evening and joining us for another episode of the Your Life Matters Show podcast with your hosts Steve Hodgson and Dr. Eric L. Davis. We ask that you please note that the information presented in this podcast is for educational andformational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is essential to consult with a qualified health care professional for any medical concerns, diagnosis or treatment. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical advice and any actions taken based on the information presented are at your own risk. We are so glad you made the choice to watch our show this evening and join us for a brand new episode of the Your Life Matters Show podcast. Let’s watch what this evening’s podcast is all about. In this evening’s powerful episode, we take on one of the most challenging and misunderstood mental health disorders, schizophrenia. Tonight’s episode is titled Schizophrenia: Breaking the Stigma, Understanding the Mind. Our host will explore what schizophrenia truly is, how it affects the brain, what causes it, and how it can be managed with care, support, and the right resources. Did you know approximately 24 million people globally, about 1 in 300, currently live with schizophrenia? In the United States, around 2.4 million adults have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. In Europe, approximately 5 million individuals are affected by psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia. Africa has 2.1 million, Central America 3.9 million, Southeast Asia, 6.2 million, and Western Pacific 7.9 million. Schizophrenia accounts for about 1% of global disability adjusted life years. An estimated 70 90% of affected individuals in low and middle inome countries do not receive adequate treatment. Overall, fewer than 1/3 of those affected globally get proper care. The peak onset is in late adolescence to early adulthood. Men 20 28 years. Women 26 32 years with a second peak around menopause 40 45 plus even up to approximately 60. About 75% of people with schizophrenia develop it between ages 1630. Childhood onset schizophrenia under 13 is rare 0.04% 04% prevalence. Schizophrenia is 1.4 times more frequent in men than women. Tonight, your host will unpack early warning signs and symptoms, how schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated, the difference between fact and stigma, gender and age dynamics of the disorder, and and most importantly, how recovery is possible. Schizophrenia doesn’t define a person. This episode is about looking past the label and seeing the human being, the story, and the value that still exists. If you or someone you love has been affected by schizophrenia, this episode is for you. Here are your hosts. Well, howdy howdy everyone and welcome back to the Your Life Matters Show podcast. This is a place where we shine a light on the real, raw, and often overlooked aspects of mental health. I’m your co-host, Steve Hudson, and I’m joined by our other co-host, psychotherapist Dr. Eric L. Davis, who brings us a wealth of clinical knowledge, compassion, and years of experience walking alongside individuals and families facing this illness. So, Dr. Davis, it’s great to be back for another episode. Absolutely. You know, it actually you were pretty complimentary. My head’s growing. It might might leave the screen. Well, I fig I get you in a good mood before we start heading into the episode. it it might help a little bit. But, you know, today we’re going to open the door to a conversation that’s often stays locked behind doors. You know, silence, stigma, misunderstanding. See, today we’re going to focus on schizophrenia, which you already knew because you already saw the opening film, but a deeply misunderstood mental health condition that affects millions of people around the world. Yet, it remains one of the most stigmatized and feared conditions. The word itself triggers confusion, fear, even judgment. But what’s underneath the label is far more human and far more hopeful than most people actually realize. Schizophrenia isn’t about having a split personality. It’s not about being violent or unpredictable. We got to thank Hollywood, I guess, for a lot of that stuff, too. it it’s a complex brainbased disorder with symptoms that range from hallucinations and delusions to emotional withdrawal, confusion, difficulties with thinking clearly. But behind every diagnosis, we got to always remember there’s a person, there’s a life, and like we say, a life that matters. Okay, we’ll break down today what schizophrenia really is, how it affects the brain, what that science tells us, and most importantly, how people can live full and meaningful lives despite the diagnosis. Let’s be real, life can feel overwhelming. Sometimes we lose our direction. And in those moments, reaching out for help isn’t weakness, it’s strength. You know, one of the most powerful things we can do for our mental health is simply to stop and ask for help. Well, look no further. Let me tell you about Waypost Counseling in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wayost was co-founded by Dr. Eric L. Davis and licensed therapist Aaron Davis. They started Waypost Counseling in 2020 because they wanted to create more than just a therapy practice. They wanted a place that truly walks alongside people through life’s hardest seasons. And they offer more than just individual therapy. They provide individual and couples therapy, problem gambling treatment and consulting services as well. They work with adults navigating everything from ADHD to grief, addiction to life transitions. Every journey is different, but our goal is always the same to help people pause, reflect, and realign with where they want to go. It’s actually where their name wayost comes from. A marker on the path, something to help guide your next steps. And for anyone listening who’s been thinking, “I don’t know where to start.” This might be the moment. Therapy doesn’t have to be intimidating. At Wayost, you’ll find honesty, warmth, and a practical approach to real change. They’re here to help you find direction and walk with you every step of the way. Whether you are in Indiana or anywhere in the United States, help is just a phone call away. They treat clients in person or using video conferencing directly from your home. If you’re ready to start that journey, visit waypostcounseling.com or call Dr. Ericel L. Davis at 317-7620904 or therapist Aaron Davis at 317-6590179 and take the first step. Wayost Counseling is proudly certified by the Indiana FSSA Division of Mental Health and Addiction and the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Abuse. That’s waypostcounseling.com. Your next chapter starts here. So, if you’re joining us today and maybe because someone you love is affected by it, or maybe you want to learn more about the condition, which we really ask people to learn more because you won’t be as I don’t want to say ignorant, but you’ll understand more when you meet someone. We’re glad you’re here and we’re glad you decided to join us because talking about schizophrenia isn’t just awareness. It’s about empathy. It’s about community and it’s about recognizing that every single life, including those touched by schizophrenia, still matters deeply. So now, with all of that said, my nice little intro, I’m going to take a deep breath. We’ll clear the fear and have an honest, compassionate conversation on this topic and the people behind it and what they truly deserve. So, Dr. Davis, let’s get right to the core of it. What exactly is schizophrenia? So schizophrenia is kind of seen as a combination of things like a spectrum. So uh schizophrenia is a a chronic and severe mental health disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia often experience psychosis. So psychosis can include hallucinations, both auditory and visual, so seeing or hearing things, delusions, uh disorganized thinking, or difficulties with emotional expression, motivation, and daily functioning. It’s not the same. A lot of people think that schizophrenia is like a split personality, you know. It’s it’s not. It’s a it’s a brain disorder that impacts perception and reality. So again, as I said, most of what we know about schizophrenia is what we see on TV or we see in the movies and stuff. And not saying that there aren’t people affected that way, but it’s not the main thing because people think, you know, they they’re talking to a person inside of a room. I actually did some research. I was watching on YouTube the other night. I looked up schizophrenia and real patient schizophrenia. I didn’t want to hear the other shows. We were about to do one. I wanted more to see what a schizophrenic patient look like, you know, they they have actually filmed and it’s actually very interesting disorder for people. So, let’s let’s let the people know how is it different from other mental health disorders, you know, similar to like bipolar disorder or what they call that schizoeffective disorder. All right. So, so bipolar disorder is primarily a mood disorder. So people cycle between depressed feelings and mania. It’s what basically what we used to call manic depressive disorder but it’s bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder can also have psychotic features. So it it can be very you know it can appear very much the same as schizophrenia symptom-wise. Um schizopeeffective disorder is essentially a hybrid with both psychotic symptoms and a a major mood component. So um you know the person would be uh depressed uh and also having psychotic symptoms. Okay. Schizophrenia on the other hand has psychosis at its core. It’s um the mood symptoms are less central and consistent. what I can tell you as far as like um what schizophrenia looks like in in a you know in someone. I had a client years ago and he had schizophrenia and um and you would never have known in a million years just talking to him and then one day it was kind of out of the blue he knocked on my on my door. I was working at a place where um you know they lived for long term. Anyway, knocked on my office door and and came in. He said, “Can I talk to you?” I said, “Yeah.” And he and he said, “Now, somebody’s been using my VA card.” You know, I was like, “You’re you’re So” So, he was a veteran. It was And he said that somebody had snuck in his room and they took his his VA ID to steal his benefits or something like that. And so, then it was, “Well, what they look like?” So, I couldn’t really tell. It was I could just see their outline, but I heard them and I knew what they were doing. And it and then um the conversation progressed to where then he he shut the door, you know, like closed the door all the way and was like, “Now, I’ve been part of a government conspiracy for, you know, and then started that type of dialogue.” And so at that point um I remember I reached out to his psychiatrist you know and um they modified his meds just a little bit and within 2 days or something it was regular again you know so it’s something that is very treatable you know um and people can live normal productive lives but it’s a very real thing and it’s it’s my heart breaks for folks that deal with it honestly and I guess basically too. It’s It’s important they take their medicine because if they don’t take their medicine, you know, they’ll have more and it made me start to think about are half of the paranormal investigators schizophrenic, okay, that that hear voices and see shadows that that aren’t there. And um you know, we we might line up for for that as well in some occasions, you know. But one other thing, I’m so sorry. I know I’m cutting you off. One thing I wanted to mention because I’ll forget this, but something interesting on the topic of bipolar disorder is I’ve also encountered clients who, you know, were dually diagnosed. They had bipolar disorder and substance use disorder and they would go off of the bipolar medicine because the mania felt so wonderful. But the problem with bipolar disorder, you can’t experience the mania without the fallout of the depression, you know. So they would go off the meds. Um, and it was almost like, you know, like a natural drug. Um, and it was so it was hard for them to give up give up the mania. I always found that really interesting. I asked I asked one of the clients one time when he was extremely depressed that had bipolar disorder. I asked him, you know, what what does it feel like? And what he told me, I’ve always remembered this. I thought it was really insightful. He said, ‘You know, he said, ‘If you’ve ever had someone close to you pass away, he said, ‘You know that fe that just that low like grief, that constant grief, that heavy feeling. And he was like, you know, and it kind of, you know, subsides over time, but it, you know, but it never fully goes away. And he was like, it’s kind of like that. He was like, that that’s what the depression feels like. And I just thought that was really a really deep insightful perspective. Well, well, I think, you know, we’ll delve more into depression because I think that’s something that’s too common, you know, in especially in our country. I’ve met people I mean, I know so many people that are on depressive depression medication, you know, for the longest time remember they used to give it to everybody, the doctors. I think I mean we live in you know our society as a culture it’s go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go and I mean really depression a lot of times you see it as a result of somebody just doing way too much for way too long and they just they’re they just physically and emotionally break you know so it really it’s interesting because it can be a the body’s defense mechanism also sometimes that’s what I personally think it is myself but all right so let’s let’s make sure we don’t get too far off schizophrenia if that’s okay. Um, absolutely. What are the early warning signs that someone is, you know, starting to get this disorder? I don’t want to say it’s coming down with something, but is starting to experience signs of schizophrenia. So you would look for things like withdrawing socially from family or friends, um declining performance at school or work, paranoia, you know, being suspicious all the time. Um talking to oneself or responding to un unseen stimuli, you know, so basically um communicating with things that aren’t there in some way, shape, or form. Um, and another thing that a lot of people overlook, but is very flat or even inappropriate emotions to where someone may be, you know, laughing hysterically when something’s, you know, horrendously not funny or or something of that nature. Uh, difficulty concentrating or following conversations or neglecting hygiene or self-care. So um subtle changes in thinking or behavior often show up before full symptoms appear and that’s what we call the pedroal phase. So is schizophrenia something that’s in our genes? Is it genetic environmental or is it both? It’s both. So having a first-degree relative with schizophrenia increases the risk. Um, but environmental stressors such as trauma, substance use, you know, or complications during birth can also play a role. So, it’s, you know, the the jury’s out, but the answer is both. I mean, do do they see a higher, you know, you you mentioned that it was a veteran. I mean, a veterans more prone to schizophrenia. Is that the kind of environment that Not necessarily that that I’m aware of. I mean, it’d be some that’d be something interesting to look into. Um, you know, I mean, even with with heredity, schizophrenia is not caused by like bad parenting or character flaws or anything. It’s it’s an illness. Um, so I would be interested to see how the, you know, like maybe post-traumatic stress symptoms play, you know, coincide with schizophrenia and stuff, but I don’t know off hand. Okay. I I was just you mentioned that your veteran that’s what sparked that in my head. So how does it really affect the brain and we try to keep you know as simple as we can you know so we don’t lose half the audience. No simply put the brain communication system misfires. That’s really what’s happening. So think of it as like faulty wiring. Um there’s too much dopamine activity in some areas leading to hallucinations or paranoas. Uh in other area it could be you know areas like involved in motivation or planning. They may be underactive. So it really just it’s things are not operation in the brain is not operating optimally. There’s either too much on in some parts and not enough in you know in others. But what’s fascinating and that’s when we were first talking and I said we kind of look at schizophrenia as a spectrum. It’s for that reason. And I’ve seen uh in the past I remember seeing a lot of studies where they talked about basically schizophrenia just being a combination of other disorders. And that hasn’t ever become official or anything like that but it was a theory at one time that I thought was interesting. So what about men and women? Is it any different for men than it is for women? So, so yeah. Um, men typically show symptoms earlier. So, in men it typically will will set in in their late teens or early 20s and it’s often more severe negative symptoms like emotional flatness or withdrawal. In women, they tend to have a later onset. So, you on average later 20s to early 30s. And studies have found that women typically have better social functioning in response to treatment, which I think is interesting. Well, it’s it’s almost like I started thinking men reach puberty and start dealing with women and women have to deal with men and they just after a number of years they just had enough like 9 10 years they start to go too because how many you know when you’re talking about um the signs the warning signs you know take a look at half the people that have been buried for years walk around talking to themselves they’re not schizophrenic they just it’s just go back to our relationship episode where we had your wife Erin on and you’ll understand that one a little more. So let’s talk about schizophrenia and how we diagnose schizophrenia. I mean how is it diagnosed? So we would diagnose it or go ahead. I was just going to say how long does it usually take to figure out yeah he’s schizophrenic. So in using the DSM5 it really it’s you know we do a clinical interview get a history um observe and then we look at symptoms on you know throughout durations of time we would look at the last 6 months last year and basically it’s think of it as kind of check boxes where it’s you know if if this number of check boxes is is here then this is what the diagnosis would be. Um, something with schizophrenia that is interesting about the actual hallucinations that individuals experience is that most of what I have read suggests that more often than not it is going to be either just strictly auditory hallucinations or strictly visual. So when you see the movie like a beautiful mind where there’s, you know, a little girl who’s walking around talking, they said that that may be a little far-fetched. Not that that couldn’t happen, but it would typically be seen or hearing, which I I always thought that was really interesting. You made me think of a story um the famous psychic medium Chip Coffee that been on so many paranormal state and there’s a current show he’s on. Um was that one of his gallery readings and I had asked him a question and he started talking about We were talking about evil. That’s I asked him if they ever encountered anything evil on paranormal state. And he said gave us a little story about there was this girl who was seeing things and talking to something else that was there. And um they were at a break, you know, where they’re all sitting around having a cup of coffee and the little girl standing there and she’s just staring into space and you know people drinking the other talking to each other, but he kept seeing her not moving. Yeah. and you know it was like after a while you’re uh you know over there and he says at one point she just turned around looked him square in the face and said get out oh man in like a deep voice he goes I didn’t have to be told twice I was out of there but the reason I bring it up I mean could it be sometimes that there is a something else going on that’s not you know science looks at no there is no such thing as the paranormal really. So what if she is or you know a child is talking to a spirit or something and telling it to do different things would that be taken as schizophrenia? I mean, I I would imagine in some cases it, you know, potentially could, you know, my hope would be that diagnostically that we we have enough criteria that would that would include other symptoms, you know, so like mood, you know, those different things. If it’s just strictly um hallucinations, it could, you know, who knows who knows what it is. But when we see that coupled with the different behavioral symptoms and all that, that’s that’s how we would know the difference because if we I mean I guess as a child what I was thinking of childs always have that imaginary friend. Yeah. So I mean that really has that you know I guess you have to learn difference like you said the spec they have to check off a bunch of boxes not just one. Yeah. Yeah. Good. And I mean like with the client I was I was talking about like you know looking at diagnostically in his case. I mean, there were definitely other, you know, things socially and and different areas of his life that were definitely affected even in addition to, you know, what he what he would see or, you know, and I think what what happened is I think that he was having a I think he one of his roommates was moving around and that woke him up and then I think my theory anyway and I have no idea, but I think that he was the pe the people moving around were the hallucination and he coupled that yeah and it triggered that on him. So what what today is the most I know science changes so often but what’s the most effective approach for treatment right now? Well, so medication, you know, antiscychotic medication that really with schizophrenia that remains the foundation of treatment because and I think this is really important for people to understand with behavioral health. You know, when it comes to brain chemistry, the biology of the brain, etc. I can affect that through, you know, helping work along your neuroplasticity, but a doctor can affect that by giving you medicine to balance out what’s chemically wrong. So the the it’s a twopart problem, you know, where it’s not something that just therapy alone can fix. It’s not necessarily something always that medication alone can fix, but medication is the cornerstone. psychosocial interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, um family therapy, supported employment, um those, you know, social skills training, all those things are are important for the person’s long-term functioning. And then there’s also what they call assertive community treatment or ACT um which is co coordinated special sorry coordinated specialty care teams and this is the gold standard model for comprehensive support. So really I mean I think ideally what the person would do you know would be working with an ACT team that you know has a psychiatrist a therapist you know everything that they need in a one-stop shop. That’s really um you know it’s community treatment because it actually seems like they need someone to write a script. They need the medication as well as the therapy. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and that’s we were talking about this a little bit earlier, but I think, you know, this is as good as EP an episode as any to kind of just we were talking about how with behavioral health symptoms, it what breaks my heart is I I’ll have a client come to me and let’s say they’re just really depressed or whatever and so I refer them to a physician, they get on, you know, the the physician prescribes medication, they start taking it, they come back, you know, two weeks later, a week later and they’re like, I still feel awful. this medication isn’t working. It’s like, well, we don’t know if it is yet or not. And so, especially with SSRIs, and I am not a medical doctor, so defer to a to your medical doctor on the specifics of that. I’m just simply stating an observation I’ve seen as a therapist. You know, that if if you can make it through the trial period, so to speak, you know, sometimes it takes that to find the right dose of the right medication and the right frequency. And you know um and and obviously there there are people there to support you through that you know therapists or or team members or whatever but don’t let that discourage you. You know sometimes it it does take a little bit of time to even really know if the medication’s working at all. Right? Because it has to build up so much of it in your system before it starts work. I mean that really is 90% of the medications you take are like that you know just don’t think it’s not working and stop because it has to build up and you know same thing with I I think of insulin for a for a diabetic you know maybe at first it’s not going to work but as that’s very important not to miss a dose because you need that constant amount of insulin in your system for you to react normally. you know, during the day. So, I mean, yeah, that’s that’s probably really important for people to understand. Um, so, but what about, you know, we said medication. Is there a way are there people that have been treated without medication? It’s probably a better way to put it. Well, yeah. I mean, you know, medication is typically in most cases, it’s going to be necessary. Um and that’s to manage the symptoms of you know psychosis prevent relapse into psychosis but um dosages and types can often be adjusted over time you know and like I was like the client I was talking about he had reached a point for whatever reason you know at that amount of time that dose was not going to do it so they just and they it was just a small modification I remember um but some individuals with really mild symptoms may reach a point to where very minimal dosing of medication or even no medication’s needed. It’s but that’s pretty rare, right? So, you know, we would most diseases and like to talk about medical diseases, we’re talking about, believe it or not, colonoscopies. We were talking before we went on the air, but it wasn’t here nor there. Yes. We we were talking about a situation. Okay. But not about colonoscopies itself but the reason you’re doing that is because early intervention I mean you know the earlier you catch even with cancer you your better chances of survival does does early intervention really hap help or you know is it something that the illness goes untreated for too long that it goes out of control. Early intervention is absolutely critical. Absolutely critical. The longer schizophrenia goes untreated, the more the brain adapts to that, you know, disorganized state. So basically, it’s think of it as out of sight, out of mind kind of like the further I get from, you know, it’s like working out or something. The the and this has happened numerous times in my life. further I get from going to the gym, you know, it’s like my reality the gym becomes not part of my reality anymore, you know, and so, uh, early intervention is important because it it can help reduce symptoms, um, prevent long-term disability or improve long-term outcomes. You know, it’s there’s never a better time to treat a problem than this minute. Ever. See, I’m one of those people at the gym myself. That’s why you were looking down when I had my hand up. Yeah. Okay, that that’s me. I the I’ve never been a gym person, though I know the benefits of going, but the first time we ever went to was Anytime Fitness in Greensburg, and we had a trainer that actually we paid for a trainer to work with us and he gave you a whole bunch of exercises we were doing and stuff. And you know, by the time we finished, I remember it felt like a three and a half mile walk to the car, which was just outside the front door in the parking lot there cuz my legs were just like rubber. But I mean, I’d literally had no feeling in my body other than pain. Okay. In places that I never knew I had pain. So yeah, when you get out of that for a while, it really affects your body and your mind. And I think that’s another mental thing. I think we just say, “Well, we don’t need to go. We don’t need to put ourselves through that anymore. We’re going to just push it off to the side. Forget about it.” And uh we we’ll never remember it happened. So, back to this u So, let me ask you, are there any promising new treatments or research, you know, developments that give better hope for better care in the future for patients suffering from schizophrenia? Yeah, very much so. So in recent times we’re seeing you know digital tools like apps um injectable medications you know so a person doesn’t have to worry about you know taking a pill etc. Um you know therapy um we something I’m really interested in that they’re starting to explore very cautiously is psychedelic research. So seeing you know what are the effects of you know uh psilocybin um you know or other neuroinflammatory um things and then also there has been research on glutamate and non-dopamine pathways in the brain um that may be better targeted for meds in the future. So I you know they’re they’re making headway on things. It’s just you know it’s it’s a it’s a big task. I I find it interesting that you talked about that because some of the effects of some of the things that you’re talking about that people were taking were to get that way, you know, where you maybe start seeing things. So, it’s interesting that treatment is actually going in that direction, you know, it could I mean it’s very very cautiously. I mean, it’s being studied. Um, you know, but I I’m who knows, you know, that that’s who my my theory is always I’ve been doing this for a long time and if something if if something works, who am I to judge, you know? It’s like exactly. So, if it can help somebody, awesome. I just my only concern is that it’s done ethically and, you know, safely, etc. Um, well, I think even the app stuff you were talking about is great, too, because more and more today with technology, you know, we talked about it with the sleep show we did that I don’t even go in to see my sleep doctor anymore. You know, I do stuff, you know, tea tele medicine, I think they call it now. And I guess really with with what you’re doing, you know, as a therapist, you can do a lot of that as well. You know, person can do it from sitting in their home. Yeah. And I plus you have today I keep thinking of Dr. Phil too many years of watching his show. Uh you know where they they have that dialer doc or whatever it is that you know they can call up and and get help like right there over the telephone if they need to and speak to a professional at that point. So yeah, I guess things are changing. So I want to talk about some of the misconceptions and the myths of schizophrenia. Okay, split personality. Okay, it’s a frequent misunderstanding. Schizophrenia does not involve a split or multiple personality. That’s a condition called disassociative identity disorder. Yes, they call that did by the way. Well, did usually like that’s typically what I’ve heard is like well did. So, okay, cuz you don’t want somebody who did something. So, and violence, which is the other misconception, people with schizophrenia are not really inherently violent. While some individuals may experience heightened aggression, it’s not a defining characteristic of the illness. It’s often linked to other factors like substance abuse and lack of treatment. And that that’s probably a good question that I just had right now, and I don’t even know if it’s coming later. That’s okay. But do schizophrenia people suffering from schizophrenia, do they intermix a lot with substance abuse? Yeah. Yeah. In in fact, what I’ve seen most often is alcohol. you know, it and I think I think a lot of that has to do with, you know, obviously there’s alcoholism, but I think that they’re also probably trying to treat some of the symptoms on their own, you know, which definitely would exacerbate things. Um, but I’ve seen a really high correlation of substance use and schizophrenia. And I was going to say that it would only exacerbate the problems by taking drugs or alcohol. That’s just going to make it worse. It’s not going to help it. It’s going to make it worse. But I guess they feel, you know, maybe I’m not aware or don’t care when I’m high that I’m doing it. You know, like we did a show on cannabis last week. Wow, man. Okay. Yeah, I was talking to myself. That’s interesting. You know, yeah, but Okay. The other uh some of the other things are inability to function. Many individuals with schizophrenia can do and lead normal productive lives. with proper treatment and support, they can hold jobs, attend school, and maintain relationships. Because I I think people think if you had schizophrenia, you put in a straight jacket and put into an asylum someplace. That’s not the ca. I mean, honestly, that is not the case at all. More often than not, if you’re interacting with someone that has schizophrenia, unless they’re in the middle of some sort of an episode, you would never have any idea, you know, unless they there were outward symptoms, which there typically won’t be, you know, if it’s just somebody that you interact with now and then. Um, but you know, that things are treatable. I hate the stigma that’s around it because of how it’s been portrayed because it is a very you know it’s not I wouldn’t wish it on anyone just like any other you know mental illness or anything but it is very treatable and and you can like life does not your life does not end at schizophrenia it can it can go on and you can have a happy productive wonderful life it’s just and another thing it’s not from bad parenting that’s another misconception it wasn’t that you were brought up a certain way. You know, it’s complex mental health condition with biological and environmental factors which we just talked about which contribute to its development. Not from having bad parents. Um not every one of them have all the same symptoms. That that’s another thing. You know, some people might you talk to someone that’s there. Some people might see things. Some people may hallucinate that there are different there’s no sing single uniform set of symptoms is basically what we’re saying. That’s why you said there’s like a spectrum of things that they’re checking off and and there’s a big difference we were talking about you there would be a a very um big difference between someone who’s on the very low end of that spectrum you know of schizophrenia and has much milder symptoms than you know I mean it it’s just a very um there’s it’s an array of things exactly it’s it really is one of the most and I say this with with, you know, the utmost respect as a clinician. It’s a really interesting, I mean, it really is one of the most interesting behavioral health disorders um to learn about because it is so um it’s kind of a chameleon. It looks so different so many times. And he’s basically saying that from the educational side of of his job. Okay. Not that hey, let’s bring in another schizophrenic or something. Yeah. So, yeah, I get that. And the last one I want to the last myth I want to talk about is incurable. While schizophrenia is a long-term condition like we’ve talked about it is treatable combination of medicine, therapy and supportive services. Individuals can manage their symptoms and live really fulfilling lives. You know as long as they stay on their meds and you know maybe even talk to a supportive group now and then you know they can live normally. So let me ask you, so what advice would you give to someone to a family member? In other words, if I suddenly found out that my wife was schizophrenic, what advice would you give to me of how I how I’m going to have to deal with her, you know, and the schizophrenia? The first thing I would recommend would be to educate yourself on the condition. You know, seriously, go online, learn, learn everything you can about it. Um, you know, look at what the symptoms are, all that. So, learn everything you can about it. The next thing is, you know, offer connection, not correction. If someone is in an episode or something, don’t try to like logic them out of it. It’s, you know, be supportive and be connected, not not corrective. Um, all the other thing is to set realistic expectations. You know, depending on what you’re dealing with, you know, sometimes we we may have to modify our expectations of someone a little bit. Um, and that’s okay, you know. Um, and then the last thing I I would say like find support for you as a family member. There’s tons of groups out there. Um there’s NAMI, the National Association on Mental Illness, you know, um like family to family. There’s uh other support groups like for addiction, there’s PALS, you know, uh parents of addicted loved ones or Alanon, but definitely find some support. The most valuable information out there is not even professional information for a family member. Like that’s important. I don’t want to undermine what I’m saying. like I’m important too. Okay, but seriously, the the best support that you can get is to find others who have experienced the same types of things as yourself. You know, if you look hard enough, you may find a support group specific to family members who are dealing with a loved one that’s struggling with schizophrenia. And, you know, it’s I I can’t stress that enough. Support groups are wonderful. I mean they they are so powerful and the the the help and the support you can get there is like no other. And I’m saying that as a person in like in recovery, you know, like that I I have I’m a therapist. I’ve I have a therapist. I’ve seen therapists, you know, and the best what saved my life truly was the support of people that were dealing with the same issues that I was. Can’t stress that enough. We’ll put links in. No, we No, no, we’ll put links in the description, too. So, go to Yeah. description links where we’ll have links for people who are suffering from schizophrenia and also supportive groups. And it’s interesting because the last incarnation so to speak of the your life matters show when I was misdiagnosed as having IPF. We did a show with myself. There was another gentleman, good friend of mine who has IPF from Indiana. And then we had Jen come on to the show, my wife. And we also had this other gentleman whose father was suffering from IPF. And we had a good open discussion about IPF in general. And the support stuff that you learn from hearing another person who’s going through some of the same issues that you’re going through as far as the family side is concerned. you know, yeah, one gentleman was dealing with his dad who um just was not one that wanted to wear oxygen, let’s say, that and that was one of the things the gentleman brought up, but he would go out and play golf and, you know, midway through playing golf, he’d almost collapse on the golf course because he refused to be wearing oxygen. Look, I got it on, folks. you know, it’s you wear it and there’s no stigma behind it, you know, but those were the kind of things that, you know, how do you deal with someone doesn’t want to do that? It’s one thing hearing it from you, a therapist how to deal with it or doctor in most of those cases, but it’s better to hear too from someone who’s dealt with it before, you know, that’s had that problem. So the thing I was just talking to a client earlier today and we were talking about you know the like where do I find my support you know and and the reason that that’s important is because I was telling him you know as as a person in recovery if I called my wife every time I was struggling in my head her phone would burst into flames. it would literally burst into flames and it would scare her to death, you know, and and so when that’s part of the the benefit of that is I can um it’s it’s a way to spare her from what I’m dealing with is by having support outside of the family. I mean, she she’s supportive 100%, but but I need support for me also. What if something happens and I can’t go to her for support? So I I need to have that support constantly. You know, the other thing I love about people who are peers, they can also tell you all the things that didn’t work. You know, they can give you a lot of grief by saying, “Well, I tried this, it didn’t work, and this didn’t work.” But these I thought just tying his hands to the chair so he couldn’t get up for an hour would take care of the problem. That that Yeah. But it’s also good for your spouse or other half to know that um you still are struggling you know but say doesn’t have to be every single time but let them understand you are struggling with yeah it’s there’s no shame in it because this is you know if you are experiencing let’s use schizophrenia as an example. If you are experiencing symptoms that look like they might be schizophrenia, you know, it’s not the end of the world. You know, it worst case scenario, you have to treat it, but that’s the worst case scenario. Well, actually, the worst case scenario is you don’t address it at all, you know, but there’s never a better time, you know. I just hope everyone anyone listening will do theirelves a favor. And if if they’re considering getting help, just make the call today. Just do it. I’m challenging it. Exactly. And you know what? That’s great for those people. What about what could society in general do to better support people that live with schizophrenia? Something that I that I have seen. So, first of all, fighting the stigma, we need a lot more transparency. You know, I am really excited to see individuals that have schizophrenia like having YouTube channels and things like that where they talk about their experiences and they explain what it feels like. And you know that you can’t um I mean that’s priceless information. I mean, think of it that way. That is priceless because the only way that those individuals know what it’s like is going through it. and um and they can you know they can tell you what it’s like to to give us a better understanding. I’m also glad to see um you know that that slowly but surely we’re putting a new face on it where you know the age-old Hollywood depiction of schizophrenia you know is not the case at all. You can you can see video after video these are normal folks who have lives they have families. they work jobs, you know, they’re just regular people, but they have this, you know, behavioral health condition that they are dealing with. And that’s really, you know, the behavioral health condition can can be a a large part or small part of your life depending on how early and how uh intensely you treat it. See, I could understand why Hollywood plays it up, okay? because they want people to watch. But mainstream media, I mean, why has schizophrenia been left out of that conversation for so many years? You know, I that’s a good question and I I don’t I don’t know. I mean, I I think personally um maybe because it’s it’s not as common necessarily as others, you know? I mean it’s not it it just isn’t as prevalent necess I mean it’s you know lots of people are afflicted but maybe that’s a reason but also I think it’s the lack of understanding you know it’s it’s always you know like who wants to talk about something you don’t understand or or maybe they maybe it’s not exciting or blood and guts enough for me to I don’t know you know you see the same way I’ve had a conversation with someone who I hadn’t talked to in is the other day on the phone and I was telling them about the show and they’re like, “Well, why why would that interest you?” Meaning to me, okay, why why I’d be interested in that? It’s because number one, for myself, I like to learn about different things that are out there in the world. But it also helps me become a better person because I can recognize and understand what someone’s going through and be a lot more compassionate to it then just you’ll get out of my way type of thing because I think a lot of people you say it’s the ignorance of not knowing what it is and you know we really have to try to reduce that stigma be more compassionate to people. Yeah, that we that we’ve been in the past. I mean, think about this. What if there like here’s something just for anybody listening. What if there was a huge stigma about taking your car to the mechanic? Mhm. I mean, think about that. Like, okay, I’m not a mechanic. I have an uncle that is, but I’m not a mechanic. So, if I want to drive, I’m going to have to go to a mechanic sometimes. But if there’s stigma, if oh no, people might see my car there. They’re going to, oh, he can’t take care of his car good enough. But like, you know, all that stigma, we start kind of making this narrative. The reality is, you know, no one has to know. If you’re struggling and you need help, no one even has to know. Reach out to the to a professional. It’s completely confidential. They will not tell a soul and they’ll do everything they can to help you. Which just on a side note, his uncle is a really good mechanic. I’ve gone to he a number of times, too. But I mean, you know, we I think a lot of times we overlook stigma for those reasons. And it’s not all the media’s fault. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the media is responsible. No, we’re all we all have a hand in it. And really, it’s just a lack of understanding. And a lack of understanding typically leads to a lack of empathy. I mean, I think we get a lot of our knowledge after going to school obviously from media. Yeah, you know, from movies and you know, and if something if you know, being shown all the time is that person that spins around in circles talking to themselves, that’s what people, you know, that becomes the face of schizophrenia in most people’s minds. And you know, and it doesn’t have to be. It can be, but it does not have to be. Well, I think a lot of it is more accountability on the media’s part and more conversations like you say like this or the person that goes on that is a schizophrenic that goes on and does their own podcast. Yeah. You know, Jed told me the best things like John Nash, you know, that that the movie a beautiful minds about. That is some of the best um you know, regardless of how it’s depicted, at least we’re talking about this. At least we’re, you know, at least it’s part of the dialogue. And I think that’s part of the the thing or part of what prevents it too is people are afraid to talk about it because of that stigma. So if we’re afraid to talk about it, imagine somebody afraid to say, “Hey, I’m dealing with this.” You know, it’s it’s we shouldn’t be so afraid to talk about things as a society and have and have logical discourse and try and gain some understanding of the world. You know, a long time ago before I decided, you know, contact you and we do this show, Janet said I should be doing like a daily vlog of living with restrictive lung disease and what that’s like on a daily basis. And I first the idea was interesting but then I was like but there really isn’t anything that I you know I I put on you know a catalog you know and that’s it and yeah okay limits me getting around but then I do go out and I see support groups on Facebook and different areas where people are dealing with you know they got a really hard time from a manager of someplace because they were wearing oxygen. Mhm. I mean, I know myself when I’ve gone to when I have gone to the gym, okay, which I still belong to Planet Planet Fitness and I still go, but people give me a very strange look when I walk in carrying an oxygen tank on my shoulder or sometimes I even wheel in the so this way it will stand there on its own when I’m like, you know, on a treadmill or something. Absolutely. Um, but you see the looks, you know, they may not be uh staring at you, but you see that glance out of the side of their eye that they’re watching you. It’s I can understand how some people it makes you feel uncomfortable. And that’s the kind of compassion we’re talking about is, you know, you should be looking at that and saying, “Wow, God bless this guy.” You know, he’s on oxygen, whatever kind of lung disease he’s got. You know, look at it. He’s wants to keep living. He’s still making it in here and and doing what he can. I mean, you know, there there’s no shame in that. I wish people could understand that, you know, if you need help with something, sometimes that is all the difference in the world, right? You know, but but imagine it. So, but imagine Steve like what if what if you wouldn’t go in? It’s like, well, they might look at my oxygen tank or, you know, it’s like, well, well, then that only harms you, right? You know, that only harms you and it harms them of, you know, a friendship with an awesome person or I mean, there’s it’s the stigma. We’ve got to fight the stigma. So, you got to remember I’m a former New Yorker. It doesn’t bother me at all. Okay. Oh, no. What you What are you looking at? Would you like me to swing the steak across your head? Okay. If you bother me, that person’s still there someplace way suppressed way deep in my back. Yes. Okay. I I want to ask one uh two last questions. Okay. Okay. How can people advocate for themselves if they’re worried about mental health but are afraid to speak up? What what should they do? So, start small. Talk, you know, talk about it to your best friend. Talk to somebody that you trust. It doesn’t have to be, hey everybody, check this out. It can be, but talk to somebody. So, start small. Another thing, you know, you can go online. There’s different screening tools that you can use. My only suggest, and I’m going to say that I’m going to put my therapist hat on really good for a minute. Make sure that it is evidence-based. Make sure it is an empirically based, evidence-based screening tool because that will ensure that it’s doing it’s screening for what it’s supposed to the way it’s supposed to. Don’t just get Billy Bob’s hey am I depressed, you know, quiz on jot form. Get a empirically based, okay? Evidence-based. Then the last thing would be um you know to remember that seeking help is not weakness like we’re talking about that is it’s strength. It’s self-respect. It’s accountability. It’s um I mean there’s nothing uh bad about that. It’s just weird that you know and and I’m guilty too. I’m a person like everybody else. I internalize asking for help as weakness too in my mind even though I know better. But it still feels that way sometimes. Luckily for me I have been able to improve my life by simply accepting the help that I ask for. And you’re surrounded by people, but you’re also surrounded by people you can trust that are not going to be judgmental and are going to be there to help. Yeah. And that’s on me, too. I mean, that’s something, too, where I am responsible for who’s in my circle. I’m responsible for if people know what’s going on with me or not. I’m responsible for people know that I’m struggling or not or am I okay. you know, if you have great people around you, they’ll always keep an eye and try and have your back and and make sure you’re okay. But, you know, a lot of times just simply getting it out and saying, “I need help to someone can be a gamecher.” So, the last question I’m going to ask, is there a spiritual, emotional, or human lesson we can learn from understanding schizophrenia better? Yeah, I think so. And I think the I think the the spiritual lesson in it is we’re all the same, you know. I mean, we we all know that life to some degree it’s it’s the luck of the draw, you know. I mean, it’s and um you know, if anyone out there is like me, you know, I look at quote unquote regular people, you know, and I beat myself up because I’ve never been a regular person. I’m a person that person that has been diagnosed with substance use disorder, you know, attention deficit, uh anxiety, you you know, lots of different things. But in spite of that and that’s the resilience you know like there is no weakness it’s what do people what do big companies do when they are when when an area of their business is failing they bring in consultants they bring in experts you know and that can make all the difference in the world if they get a good one you know but start with people that you trust implicitly tell them what’s going on ask them what they would do ask them if they’ll support you In in whatever decision you make, you got to remember you’re unique. You can’t do it alone. That’s how you have to look at it. Each person is unique. Absolutely. In their own way. So if we, you know, we always look at myself with the oxygen. Sometimes I catch myself feeling sorry for myself and I just say, “Gee, I wish I was like them.” But yeah, they have a whole bunch of other issues that I don’t have. deal with what we have. Judging our insides by everyone else’s outsides, right? You know, and that’s the thing too with social media and all that. I mean, you know, don’t don’t believe everything you see all the time. People are always going to present their their best face. I mean, that’s just human nature. But uh what I can tell you as a therapist for many many years, people from all walks of life are dealing with things and no one is alone in having problems. We all have we’re all having problems, you know. Um it’s just a matter of do am I outward about it? Do I talk about it or not? I take that don’t believe everything. I use that for politics. Just every time I read a political story or see a news story that just say that same thing to you. So, if there’s one takeaway from today’s episode, it’s that schizophrenia may change how someone experiences the world, but it doesn’t take away their worth. You know, it doesn’t erase their dreams, their potential, or their place in communities. And we’ve learned recovery is possible. Support is probably the most essential, and compassion is non-negotiable. We encourage all of you to keep this conversation going in your homes, with your friends, in your workplace, and online. and say, “Yeah, I was watching this really interesting podcast the other night and they were talking about schizophrenia.” Okay. And they said, “Apparently, you have to have a beard and be bald to host it.” And wear glasses. I guess I can put my glasses on. They’re sitting here too, but it ring light. That’s all you would see inside my glasses. Um, but you know, we do need to talk more to break that silence. And the more we break the silence, the more lives we can uplift, protect, and even save. So if you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of schizophrenia or any other mental health condition, don’t wait. You’ll just reach out for help because the help is out there. It’s available everywhere, even online. Okay? And we, as I said, we’re going to have some links in the description. And again, remember, there’s always hope. So, I want to thank you all for joining us today for another compelling episode of the Your Life Matter Show podcast um for this really important and powerful discussion about schizophrenia. A big thank you as always, you know, Dr. Eric Davis here for breaking down the complexity of the condition with clarity and compassion and for helping us understand that behind every diagnosis is a story, a person deserving of dignity, love, and support. Now remember folks, don’t forget to like and subscribe and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it. It only takes a minute and it truly truly helps the channel. You know, when you’re bsing with some of your friends, you know, and they say, “What do you want?” say, you know, I watch the show every week. You know, it takes an hour, sometimes an hour and a half, depending on if there’s guests and, you know, they they talk about some interesting topics. You know, that we’re up at airing of well recording of the show, we’re up to over like 3,500 subscribers right now, man. So, you know, fantastic,000. Yeah. So people are people are watching more and you know they they’re getting involved in it and the shows are so diverse that we have a show for everybody. You know we we really don’t have anyone out there. And if we if there’s a show that you’d like to see let us know. We’re we love doing this. We love doing and in fact next week we we planning on a show on laughter. We’re we’re going to lighten up a little bit and uh if everything goes right, we even have a national comedian who will be joining us too for about a 15 20 minute segment who you know is really going to help that topic. Remember, visit our website at joifemattershowodcast.com for more information about the show and you can contact us there if you need to. And we truly both hope you’ll join us next week as we continue exploring the stories and strategies that help us live with more purpose, clarity, and compassion. Now, remember on this podcast, we don’t just talk about mental health. We celebrate the strength that it takes to face because your story matters, your struggle matters, and above all, your life matters. So until next time, stay strong, stay hopeful, and remember, never forget that your life matters. God bless you all, and we hope to see you next week. Okay, let me stop that. But it’s actually funny. Thank you for joining us for this week’s new episode of the Your Life Matter Show podcast. Please be sure to join us again next week for another great episode with your host, Steve Hodgegson, and psychotherapist, Dr. Eric L. Davis. Please remember to subscribe to our channel if you have not already done so and hit the like button if you enjoyed this episode. Your help with this helps us reach a wider audience that may need our help. Remember, no matter where you are in your journey, you are valuable and important. Take time to cherish yourself and those around you. Never forget your life matters. [Music]
In this powerful new episode of The Your Life Matters Show Podcast, we take on one of the most challenging and misunderstood mental health disorders: schizophrenia.
Hosts Steve Hodgson and psychotherapist Dr. Eric L. Davis explore what schizophrenia truly is, how it affects the brain, what causes it, and how it can be managed with care, support, and the right resources.
Together, they unpack:
• Early warning signs and symptoms
• How schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated
• The difference between fact and stigma
• Gender and age dynamics of the disorder
• And most importantly — how recovery is possible
Schizophrenia doesn’t define a person. This episode is about looking past the label and seeing the human being, the story, and the value that still exists.
Organizations, Helplines and Support Groups for people suffering from Schizophrenia:
* NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness):
NAMI offers a wealth of information, support groups, and a helpline (1-800-950-NAMI)
for individuals with schizophrenia and their families.
https://www.nami.org/
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health):
NIMH provides in-depth information about schizophrenia, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or are in a crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration):
SAMHSA offers resources for finding mental health services and support.
https://www.samhsa.gov/
Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance:
The S&PAA Resource Line can provide information and support for navigating the complexities of schizophrenia.
https://www.nami.org/support-education/support-groups/nami-connection/
NAMI Connection Support Groups:
NAMI Connection offers support groups for individuals with mental health conditions, including schizophrenia.
👉 If you or someone you love has been affected by schizophrenia, this episode is for you.
💬 Share your thoughts in the comments — we welcome respectful, open dialogue.
📢 Please like, share, and subscribe to help us spread mental health awareness.