In this episode, we delve into the mental illness journey of former NHL goalie, Corey Hirsch. Renowned for his stellar career with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, Corey's life story extends beyond the ice, unveiling a silent battle with mental illness. From the pinnacle of professional hockey to the darkest corners of despair, Corey shares the struggles he faced, including contemplations of suicide at the age of 21. In a candid conversation, Corey discusses his experiences with intrusive thoughts, mental illness stigma, and seeking support while navigating his career as a high-profile athlete. Join us as we cover the highs and lows of Corey's life, shedding light on the often unseen battles faced by athletes beyond the spotlight.Resources:Suicide Crisis HotlineCoreyHirsch.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we address the troubling reality of suicide rates among individuals grappling with schizophrenia. Studies reveal a staggering statistic, up to 15% of those with schizophrenia tragically take their own lives. This alarming figure, particularly affecting young people in the early stages of their illness, underscores the urgency of our conversation.Join us as we delve into this topic with Dr. William Honer, Jack Bell Chair in Schizophrenia Research, and a professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Psychiatry. Together, we'll explore the complex factors contributing to this, aiming to foster understanding, address stigma, and advocate for comprehensive support systems.Resources:Suicide Crisis HotlineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a caregiver to a person grappling with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia isn't easy. Schizophrenia is a complex and often misunderstood illness that affects those living with the illness as well as those who love and care for them. A caregiver's responsibility goes beyond mere physical care. Caregiving can take on many forms. On this episode of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined, Paula Bomer shares her story about the complex realities some families face when a loved one has a serious mental illness. Paula's journey with her father's schizophrenia sheds light on the challenges, stigma, and the profound impact that serious mental illness can have on the whole family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, our discussion revolves around a controversial question: Can mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, be cured? We tackle that question and more with a distinguished guest, Dr. Daniel Weinberger, the director and CEO of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. Together, we discuss the complexities of researching the sources of mental illness and the age-old nurture versus nature discussion. Driven by the pursuit of answers, we navigate the nuanced concept of 'curing mental illness,' covering genetic studies, cutting-edge research, and unexpected connections, like the intriguing role of the placenta. Brace yourselves for a journey into the unknown terrains of mental illness.Resources:Lieber Institute For Brain Development: https://www.libd.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychotic disorders are amongst the most severe and disabling of all mental disorders. In this episode, discover the ground-breaking world of Virtual Reality (VR) therapy for psychosis. Join Dr. Mar Rus-Calafell, a clinical psychologist and professor in Germany, as she explains how VR complements traditional therapies. Participants can explore immersive scenarios to learn skills to cope with auditory hallucinations, social difficulties, or cognitive challenges. Uncover the evolution of VR technology, its impact, and the hope it brings for mainstream healthcare integration. Dive into this episode to learn more about the potential VR has to help and empower those with psychosis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore the critical theme of impaired insight in severe and persistent mental illness, known as anosognosia. Dr. Nicole DeTore, Director of Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, guides us through her groundbreaking research on early intervention services, particularly the NAVIGATE program, which offers hope for individuals experiencing first episode psychosis (FEP). Dr. DeTore reveals the program's principles, its international reach, and the indispensable role of family support. The episode delves into the symptoms of schizophrenia, and the nuanced concept of recovery. Join us in the conversation with Dr. DeTore as she shares her expertise around early psychosis intervention programs. Resources:Navigate: https://navigateconsultants.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the season 4 premiere of Look Again, our hosts delve into the relationship between mental health, mental illness, and social media with Kody Green, also known online as @SchizophrenicHippie. Kody shares his personal journey of being diagnosed with schizophrenia and the unanticipated role of becoming a 'Mental Illness Social Media Influencer' when he went viral on TikTok. The conversation touches on coping mechanisms, medications, and the power of humour. Join us for an insightful discussion about the link between digital platforms and mental illness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for Season 4 of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined. This season, we're diving deep into the 'big questions' that families can face during different stages of the mental illness journey. From recognizing initial symptoms to the pursuit of a diagnosis, navigating the complexities of symptoms to the search for effective treatment, and addressing the daunting task of dealing with serious mental illness. Host Faydra Aldridge, CEO of the BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) along with co-host Melissa McKenna, Marketing and Communications Manager at BCSS, bring you personal stories of individuals living ‘close’ to schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses—providing a unique and personal perspective. That's not all – we talk to experienced researchers and medical professionals across the globe who will shed light on the latest developments in the field. As we unravel these narratives, we'll start to see how they're intertwined with broader questions about the social impact of mental illness and the role it plays in all our lives. The journey begins in the New Year on January 3rd. We invite you to join us. Stay tuned and hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does a person's race affect the treatment they may receive for a serious and chronic mental illness? As we have heard through our discussions with experts, people living with schizophrenia, and family members—conscious and unconscious biases can play a huge role in how a person is treated within the health care system. Multiple studies and reports have also illustrated that systemic racism influences access to, and the experience of, mental health care for racialized Canadians. The treatment of serious mental illness for racialized Canadians is a huge topic—not something that can be covered in only one episode—but we’re going to start the conversation today with Dr. Amy Gajaria, a clinician and Associate Director, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.Resources:Dr. Amy Gajaria - BioWhat’s race got to do with it? A proposed framework to address racism’s impacts on child and adolescent mental health in CanadaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like any prescription medication, Abilify, Risperdal, Clozapine, and other anti-psychotics have side effects. And like any medication, they are prescribed to help a person manage an illness. Anti-psychotics can help with a number of different illnesses, but often used to help manage a person's symptoms of schizophrenia, including paranoia, delusions and hallucinations. However, there’s a movement that wants to shift mainstream thinking away from using medication to manage the symptoms of a serious mental illness. It's encouraging people to accept and live with the symptoms of serious mental illness, symptoms like voices, hallucinations, and other symptoms. It’s a controversial topic and we’ve brought back a familiar voice from our first season – Dr. Diane McIntosh, Psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia. In this episode, we talk about the use of medications in treating serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. Resources:Dr. Diane McIntosh - BioBlindsided - Dr. Diane McIntosh's podcastAntipsychotic Selection Is Important for Reduced Nonadherence in SchizophreniaLook Again Season 1, Episode 5: The Truth Behind Psychiatric MedicationAnti-Psychotic Medication - CAMHSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Television and film like to portray people with schizophrenia as young, white men. And yet, in real life, schizophrenia is not as seen on TV — especially for women. Scientists are now seeing how illnesses like schizophrenia can impact men and women differently, which means more research needs to be done around women and serious mental illnesses. Does this affect women getting an accurate diagnosis or accessing care? And what additional stigma or discrimination might a woman experience?We will cover all of these questions and more with this episode's guest, Dr. Araba Chintoh, associate professor in the University of Toronto's psychiatry department and a Clinician Scientist at the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute in the Schizophrenia Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She's a researcher and clinician committed to exploring the knowledge gaps around treatment resistant schizophrenia, and assessing the differences in the diagnosis, prognosis, adherence, and treatment of psychosis and serious mental illness for women.Resources:Dr. Araba Chintoh's bioWhy is schizophrenia different in women - Discover MagazineWomen and psychosis - CAMHSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not easy to talk about the effect schizophrenia can have on one’s family members, especially a sibling. It can have a significant emotional, psychological, and physical impact on loved ones, as they balance their love for their family member and the sharme around this disease. In this episode, we have a very honest, frank, and vulnerable conversation with Yusuf Faqiri about his brother Soleiman who lived with schizophrenia until 2016, when he died in an Ontario jail. Yusuf shares his own journey coming to terms with his brother's schizophrenia, the important role his mother played in their family, and how leading with compassion can show us that people are more than their illness.Resources:Family Support Groups- BC Schizophrenia SocietySibling Support Group - BC Schizophrenia SocietyYusuf Faqiri - TwitterYusuf Faqiri Op-ed - The Globe and MailFamily Toolkit - HeretoHelpThe Story of a Family Forever ChangedA Brother's View - Rethink Mental IllnessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re the child of a parent who lives with mental illness, you can be faced with a lot of tough challenges. You may feel overwhelmed, sad, scared or even angry. You may resent your parent for not being like the other parents. Or you could also wind up as a caregiver and try to fix everything. In her lifetime, Dr. Grace Cho, author of her memoir Tastes Like War, says she has had three mothers. The mother of her childhood, before schizophrenia. The mother of her adolescence, a woman who is visibly deteriorating mentally. And the mother now, a woman trapped by schizophrenia and the voices and delusions that it brings. In this episode, Dr. Cho reflects on her journey from teenager to adulthood and how her mother’s schizophrenia shaped the direction of her life and her work. She talks about the social factors that left her mother feeling vulnerable and the stigma that prevented her from getting treatment. And how she found a way to build a loving relationship and connect with her mother.Resources:Grace Cho's Book: Tastes Like WarKIC Children's BookletKelty Mental Health Resource CentreSupporting Children of Parents with Mental Illness in the Classroom (Heretohelp)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While there's no way to predict whether a person with a mental illness will become violent, there's still a common understanding that those diagnosed with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are unpredictably aggressive. This can be seen in how people living with mental illness, substance use, and violence are portrayed through the news, TV, or movies. But these misconceptions can fuel the stigma towards people living with severe and persistent mental illness. How do we address the role that violence plays in the lives of people living with a mental illness and everybody else around them? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Rakesh Lamba, who is the medical director with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, and someone with a wealth of experience conducting risk assessments with Correctional Services Canada and the Parole Board of Canada.Resources: Schizophrenia - Warning Signs of VoilenceDr. Rakesh Lamba’s bioPHSA Forensic Psychiatric Services See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is not an easy decision to call the police or an ambulance to take a loved one to a psychiatric facility - all in the hopes that they get the treatment they need and deserve. But sometimes people with an untreated mental illness lose insight into the fact they are ill and will not accept voluntary treatment, even when their illness may be causing harm to themselves or others. The BC Mental Health Act allows people experiencing a serious mental health crisis to get help through involuntary treatment. But what's the impact of that decision on a family member? And what happens to someone once they are admitted to a psychiatric facility? In this episode, you'll meet Vanessa Nelson. Vanessa’s daughter, Mira, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 18 and is now 22. In these few years, Mira has been involuntarily detained under the BC Mental Health Act many times. This is Vanessa's journey through the twists and turns of her daughter's mental illness and the role involuntary treatment has played in keeping her daughter alive.Resources:BC Mental Health Act in Plain LanguageWhat does it mean to be certified - Here2helpDemystifying the Mental Health Act - Webinar by BCMHSUSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its third season "Look Again: Mental Illness Re-examined" wades into some controversial territory. Launching Oct. 12th, join us every two weeks as we dive into some hot topics -- involuntary treatment, the consequences of refusing medication, how race and gender impacts diagnosis and treatment, just to name a few. Host Faydra Aldridge, CEO of the BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS), challenges you to "look again" and reconsider your beliefs, perceptions and understanding of serious mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia. Expect candid conversations with people living with mental illness and leading experts about the harmful stigma that is still attached to mental illness. No topic is off-limits this season. This podcast is for anyone who wants to keep these discussions alive, and shining a light on how we are all touched by the effects of mental illness—whether we know it or not.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people have seen movies or TV shows that have used schizophrenia as part of their story. But how often do we stop to think about what those representations actually mean or look like? Do they portray the experience of people living with schizophrenia accurately? As studies have shown, schizophrenia is one of the conditions that the general public views most negatively and generates a lot of stigma. Societal stigma is one aspect, but for those living with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, there's an additional challenge of managing their own internalized stigma when it comes to being diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, there are people living with schizophrenia who are trying to change that. One of those people is Adria Roberts, who works as a mental health peer support worker. It's a job she says gave her hope and helped her regain her life after her diagnosis. In this episode, she shares how she came to terms with her diagnosis.Resources: Lost in Reality: Hearing Voices - Adria Roberts' TEDxChilliwack TalkRead: Into the Eye of the Storm - The Chilliwack Times (pp: 1, 23)Follow Adria on Twitter: @adria_theWatch Adria on CBC's 'You Can’t Ask That' – S2E4: SchizophreniaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since we kicked off our second season talking to someone who embraced her diagnosis of schizophrenia — we thought it would only be fitting to end this season with another guest who also doing her own heavy lifting when it comes to educating, creating awareness, and breaking myths about schizophrenia. In this episode, Faydra will be introducing you to Lauren Kennedy. She's a mental health advocate, social worker, wife, a step-mother to two children, and mom to a new baby. But Lauren also lives with schizoaffective disorder. Through her YouTube channel, Living Well with Schizophrenia, Lauren engages with viewers and followers alike as a means to increase knowledge and compassion around schizophrenia. And through it all, she shows there is no shame in having a severe and persistent mental illness., embracing her journey of self-acceptance – flaws and all. Resources for show notes: Living Well with Schizophrenia (website)Living Well with Schizophrenia (YouTube Channel)Living Well with Schizophrenia (Instagram)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many cultures around the world, mental illness is still highly stigmatized and rarely talked about. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at how mental illness is viewed and talked about in the South Asian Community, one of the largest ethno-cultural groups in Canada. Talking about mental illness, getting help, or even getting diagnosed is hindered by generational gaps, language barriers, and perceived taboos, just to name a few. In this episode, we’ll hear four voices sharing their personal experiences of serious mental illness within the South Asian Community, and speak to Kulpreet Singh, founder of the South Asian Mental Health Alliance. Since 2010, Kulpreet has been tackling these disparities and trying to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health -- and serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia by leveraging the expertise and influence of second-generation South Asian Canadians. This is going to be an honest talk about how culture can play a role in how mental illnesses are seen and treated, in particular within the South Asian community. Resources for show notes: South Asian Mental Health AllianceAdvocates call for more targeted mental health support for South Asian Community during pandemic (CBC News)Silence on mental illness nearly killed Karandeep Gill. Now her honest is helping others (CTV News)Need to Culturally Adapt and Improve Access to Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions for Canadian South-Asians: A Call to Action (Community Journal of Mental Health)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Schizophrenia. It's neither new nor rare and in fact it's existed for centuries — and it's the one mental illness that seems to be synonymous with madness. And despite being around for a long time, virtually everything we know about schizophrenia has been learned in the past 200 years — and mostly in the later parts of the 20th and 21st centuries. With the help of Dr. Adrian Preda, this episode takes us on a brief historical journey of schizophrenia – from then to now – and the stigma that exists around it. Dr. Preda is a psychiatrist and professor at the University of California, Irvine Medical Centre, School of Medicine whose clinical work and research focuses on schizophrenia and other psychotic and cognitive disorders. In December 2020 Dr. Preda wrote an article about the concepts of schizophrenia highlighting the historical debate on one particular theory around “lumpers” and “splitters”. Resources for show notes: Adrian Preda -- BiographyThe Schizophrenia Concept Timeline HighlightsBenedict Morel and Dementia PraecoxKrapelin Revisted: Schizophrenia from Degeneration to Failed RegenerationEugen Bleuler and the Schizophrenias: 100 Years AfterThe Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease by Jonathan MetzlThe Troubled History of Schizophrenia: How Race Shaped An Illness (NAMI Presentation)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.