Schizophrenia As I Live It (audio)
I discuss navigating the labyrinth of paranoid schizophrenia as a personal and Informative journey.
I'm Diana Dirkby, and I'm living with paranoid schizophrenia. In this podcast, I'll open up about my experiences with this complex brain disorder while also providing a comprehensive overview of schizophrenia itself. Despite sharing common symptoms, each individual's journey with schizophrenia is unique. We all seek tools and strategies to manage our symptoms within the context of our unique lives.
As mental health consumers, we are responsible for sharing our experiences openly and honestly. By doing so, we can help combat the stigma associated with schizophrenia. We can empower listeners to understand what psychosis truly feels like, dispelling the fear and misconceptions that often surround it. While a schizophrenic episode can be an intense and overwhelming experience, it's important to remember that the person experiencing it is usually not a threat to others.
Beyond my experiences with schizophrenia, I'll also share aspects of my life that transcend my mental health condition. This serves as a reminder that mental health consumers are multifaceted individuals, not defined solely by their diagnoses.
My fiction novel, "The Overlife: A Tale of Schizophrenia," is based on a deeply personal exploration of my own experiences and those of my mother. It's available as a Kindle and paperback book (visit https://www.amazon.com/author/diana_dirkby or search for "Diana Dirkby" on Amazon). An audiobook version will be released soon. For more information, please visit my website: https://overliveschizophrenia.com/.
Part 1 of this podcast aired during the prepublication phase of my novel. Now the book has appeared, Part 2 assumes you have access to it. You can still follow along without having read it. However, reading the book will help you understand and appreciate my podcast.
Together, we can break down barriers and promote open conversations about mental health. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
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Schizophrenia As I Live It (audio)
https://dianadirkbywrites.com; diana@dianadirkbywrites.com; (Insta) @dianadirkby_writings
What if you could find hope and resilience in the midst of living with paranoid schizophrenia? Join Diana Dirkby as she explores her personal journey in navigating life with this challenging brain disorder. As the host of "Schizophrenia as I Live it," Diana shares how she has built a fulfilling life by setting realistic daily goals and finding support through mental health advocacy groups like NAMI and SANE Australia. Her story is one of overcoming stigma and setbacks, and she emphasizes that life can be rewarding despite mental health challenges. Diana's mission is clear: to inspire others to see beyond diagnoses and find hope in unexpected places.
Diana also dives into her literary world, inviting listeners to explore her book "The Overlife: A Tale of Schizophrenia" and eagerly anticipating her upcoming novel "Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies." Through compelling characters like Isabel Morse, Diana challenges stereotypes and uncovers the often-taboo issues faced by families. With elements of horror and thriller, these stories not only entertain but also shed light on the complexities of mental health. Connect with Diana on Instagram (@dianadirkby_writings) and her new website for updates on her writing, as she continues her fight to support mental health awareness and challenge societal norms.
#DianaDirkby #TheOverlife #ATaleofSchizophrenia #Schizophrenia #MentalIllness #FamilyDynamics #CaregiverBurden #Resilience #Hope #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthStigma #Strength #Love #Compassion #SecondChance #Transformation #Fiction #MentalHealthPortrayal #FamilyStruggles #EmotionalTurmoil #PoignantStory #GrippingNarrative #UnforgettableCharacters #MustReadBook #Amazon
Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company
Pastime With Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company
Hello, my name is Diana Dirkby and I live with paranoid schizophrenia. Welcome to my podcast, schizophrenia as I Live it. I want to underline that my new website and email are now live. My website's address is in this podcast title dianaderkbywrites. com. My new email address is also in this podcast title diana a dianadirkbywrites. com. My brand new, enhanced Instagram account can be found at a dianaderkby. Under slash writings, everything on my older website has been transferred to the new one. In particular, you will still find my blog and podcast featured on the new site.
I:I went with professional help to make my website more informative and inviting. Where do I see the future of this podcast going? The title "Schizophrenia as I live it will always be relevant, as indeed I live with this brain disorder. However, I am much more than just my mental illness and I also want to highlight how I have managed to achieve a happy and fulfilled life despite my diagnosis. My life is not without problems, and some of these problems are weighty and originate in my mental illness. However, I have found the hope to believe I can always get past such setbacks with the help of my caregiver- spouse and doctors. I also remind myself constantly that failing to reach a preset goal due to problems with my mental illness is not a tragedy. I am learning more every day about compromise. What can I reasonably expect to do on any given day? I ask myself that question at the beginning of the day and then prioritise so that I do the more urgent tasks first. I want to encourage hope in the hearts of all mental health consumers, even when they can't find it directly. One place to find hope is in health advocacy groups like NAMI, ring Change to Mind or SANE Australia. Going to a mental health support group once a week can be supportive and uplifting.
I:I have spoken a lot in this podcast about my published book, the Overlife, A Tale of Schizophrenia by Diana Dirkby, my pen name. My real name is Paula Tretkoff. If you visit the book on Amazon or just search for it on Amazon using my pen name, iana Dirkby, you will find it as a paperback, as a Kindle book and as an audio book. I encourage everyone to listen to the audio book as it makes the whole story come alive to hear it as a tale told to you by someone else. My forthcoming novel, hree Kidnapped, three Siblings, three Furies, by Diana Dirkby will be published soon. Information about the book is on my new website and social media. For insight into both books. I especially recommend my Instagram account, @dianaderkby__writings. My website will direct you to other social media accounts featuring my books and myself.
I:The fiction novel Three Kidnapped, hree Siblings, three Furies, features a heroine called Isabel Morse who lives with paranoid schizophrenia. She is 35 years old and single. After a long effort by herself and her doctors, her schizophrenia symptoms have been under control for some years. She suffers stigma from some of the population in the town she lives in, but has a trusted friend who always sticks up for her, ather Lewis, who is 55 and a Catholic priest. The book is in the horror-thriller genre but deals with damaging problems in three families. These isolating problems are often taboo in conversation, even within families where they occur. Isabel Morse's schizophrenia does not contribute to solving the central problems of the novel. Instead, her many other aspects make her invaluable. Isabel is much more than her schizophrenia.
I:Advocating for mental health involves knowing the typical symptoms and descriptions of mental health consumers and their experiences. This narrative can be written in the fiction genre, as I did with the character Sarah and her mother, odie, in the Overlife A Tale of Schizophrenia, basing it closely on my experience of the same situation. Mental illness can be isolating. Sometimes the symptoms make you wish just to rest and be alone. You may be in a situation where the people you live with do not try to understand you.
I:Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings. Three Furies deals with another problem that can be isolating sibling abuse. The Three Furies from Greek mythology are surreal players in the drama who force the truth, the thriller part, to emerge through horrific acts, the horror part performed on three kidnapped teens from three separate families. These nightmares occur even though there is a lot of love in the three families directly affected by the shock of the kidnapping of their eldest child. So I see no reason to change the title of my podcast, even when I write about matters that do not involve schizophrenia. I live with schizophrenia and I always will involve schizophrenia. I live with schizophrenia and I always will. So my writing will always be part of schizophrenia as I live it. Thank you for listening.