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.
#schizophrenia #psychosis #schizoaffective #caregiver #schizophreniaawareness #schizophreniarecovery #schizophreniasupport #schizophreniatreatment #schizophreniahelp #schizophreniamanagement #brainhealthadvocate #brainhealthsupport #brainhealthisimportant #brainhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthrecovery #mentalhealthsupport #mentalillnesstreatment #mentalhealthmanagement #family #relationships #motherdaughter #daughtermother #fiction #fightthestigmaofmentalillness #fightthestigma
Schizophrenia As I Live It (audio)
Routine of A Fiction Writer With Schizophrenia
Finding stability in creative chaos has been my lifelong journey as a fiction writer living with schizophrenia. Drawing wisdom from master storyteller Walter Mosley's advice on daily writing routines, I've discovered powerful connections between maintaining creative discipline and managing mental health challenges.
My mornings belong to fiction writing—after coffee, breakfast, and digital newspapers, of course. This dedicated creative time, respected by my spouse and protected in my schedule, provides essential structure that benefits both my novels and my mind. When symptoms of schizophrenia threaten to overwhelm with confusion and disorientation, these established routines become anchors in the storm. Simple activities—feeding wild birds, watching films, housekeeping, gardening, playing piano—transform into meaningful touchstones that guide me through difficult days.
Organization tools like planners help me visualize and maintain this framework without becoming trapped by rigidity. Even during relapses or psychotic episodes, I continue writing through journaling, which serves dual purposes: maintaining my creative practice while tracking mental health patterns and warning signs. Similarly, medication management requires its own carefully crafted schedule—I take antipsychotics and epilepsy medications in late afternoon rather than evening, accommodating my 4am wake-up time. The beautiful synchronicity I've found is that the discipline required for successful writing directly enhances my mental health management, and vice versa. Whether you're a writer, someone managing mental health challenges, or both, I hope my experiences offer insight into the profound power of thoughtful routines. Subscribe to my channel and podcast for more on living creatively with schizophrenia, and share your own routine strategies in the comments!
#WritingRoutine, #WritingTips, #WritingProductivity, #SchizophreniaAwareness, #MentalHealth #MentalHealthWriting, #WritingforWellness
References and online Links
Walter Mosley: Course “Teaches Fiction and Storytelling, Masterclass app.
Clever Fox Planner Pro (visit https://amzn.to/437AUVA).
Clever Fox Mental Health & Anxiety Journal (visit https://amzn.to/3FXGwtQ)
The Clever Fox links are Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Overlife, A Tale of Schizophrenia, by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/454WgW6).
“Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies,” by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/42Z81KY).
The links to my books are Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
website: https://dianadirkbywrites.com (fiction writing)
website: https://aussiemathematician.io/ (mathematics)
Blog: https://dianadirkbywrites.com/blogs/
Podcast: Schizophrenia As I Live It (audio)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186769.
Podcast: Fractured Ink: Writing in Life’s Chaos (video) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUxDLjcuok9SMcaBbm3M7KNpNztvZ73H0
Instagram: @dianadirkby_writings (https://www.instagram.com/dianadirkby_writings/)
Facebook Page: Diana Dirkby Writings (https://www.facebook.com/DianaDirkbyAuthor)
X-account: @dianadirkby (https://x.com/DianaDirkby)
YouTube channel @DianaDirkbyWrites (https://www.youtube.com/@DianaDirkbyWrites)
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
I am a fiction writer with schizophrenia. Today I want to discuss the advantages of daily routines for writing and schizophrenia. The renowned fiction writer Walter Mosley teaches fiction and storytelling in his Masterclass App course. He offers advice that suggests a daily routine is particularly beneficial for authors. I have found that a daily routine both helps me to write and helps me manage my schizophrenia symptoms. One piece of wisdom Mosley shares can be seen as part of creative writing management. He suggests that writers establish a routine time of day for writing that they follow every day, even if it results only in a few lines. This advice fits well with my fiction writing and my schizophrenia. In the case of Mosley, he aims to start writing at the beginning of each day. He explains that writing as soon as he wakes up works. For him.
Diana Dirkby:The duration of your writing doesn't matter. The habit is meant to get the creative juices flowing. If you only have a few minutes in the morning, you can still write a little then and plan to write more in a day later. This philosophy of a routine in writing applies to any genre and benefits creative writing with healthy habits. What are my schizophrenia-inspired writing routines? When I wake up, I need to drink a few cups of coffee and have breakfast after reading my digital newspapers. Since my spouse often wakes up simultaneously, we usually spend time together before I can work on my writing. After the wake-up routine with my spouse, I write some of my current fiction book project daily. I only work on it in the morning, since the afternoons after lunch are reserved for time with my spouse. Additionally, I work much better in the morning because I am fresh. My spouse has accepted that mornings are meant for my creative work. Of course, there are times when friends visit us and holidays when my mornings are not free, as Walter Mosley suggests. On those days, I write a few lines when I wake up. This philosophy aids my productivity as a novelist. Organising various other life activities is crucial to establishing consistent schizophrenia-inspired habits. That's why I value Clever Fox's range of planners, for instance the Clever Fox Planner Pro. I don't claim that writing in your planner is the same as crafting your literary work, but organising your day significantly aids in finding a regular time to write.
Diana Dirkby:Maintaining a daily routine with some flexibility for unforeseen events helps me manage my schizophrenia symptoms. Ironically, routines can become traps if you engage in self-criticism because you fail to meet your planned goals. This brings stress into the mix, which is detrimental to schizophrenia. Your routine should serve you, not control you. The symptoms of schizophrenia can be incredibly confusing, as I have described in my podcast Schizophrenia as I Live it, and on my blog. That's where routine can be your friend. If your day has a routine, you have something to look forward to and lean on. When you feel overwhelmed, you can say to yourself things like it's time to feed the wild birds, or it's time to watch a movie, or it's time to watch a lecture from the great courses, or it's time to clean the house and do some gardening, or it's time to play the piano. If any of these are part of your daily routine, they can all be done at home. If you are experiencing a schizophrenic relapse or psychotic break, the symptoms can completely overwhelm you and no amount of organization will address them. That's the point for me.
Diana Dirkby:When I work with my doctors and receive 24-7 support from my spouse, I still write every day, whether I'm sick or well. I write in my wellness, mental health and anxiety journal, again from Clever Fox. Journaling is a powerful tool for schizophrenia and mental health generally. This habit helps me get back on track by providing a space to express the evolution of my relapse. I can also prevent a relapse, as I notice red flags in the journal that I have indicated make trouble.
Diana Dirkby:When I take antipsychotic medication and medication for my epilepsy, I strive to take them at the same time every day. Most people take them at night, just before they go to sleep. I sleep early, so I take them in the late afternoon and feel fresh when I begin my next day at 4am. The medications are strong, so it is helpful to know exactly when the post-medication part of your day will begin. Maintaining good habits with your medication is a routine that should not be missed on any day for someone living with schizophrenia. Due to unforeseen circumstances, including pleasant ones like holidays an evening out or having friends over, I must take my medications later. However, I try to make this the exception rather than the rule. Someone with schizophrenia benefits from a routine and a writer benefits from a writing rhythm. Managing my schizophrenia and writing are allies for me, working together to structure my day. I hope you have a fantastic day today. Goodbye from Diana Dirkby. If you watch this on YouTube, please subscribe to my channel and podcast, like my videos and comment, thank you.