Inside Schizophrenia

Bonus: What Schizophrenia Hallucinations Really Feel Like


Listen Later

For individuals living with schizophrenia, the world can be populated by voices, visions, or other sensory experiences that are intensely real yet imperceptible to others. These hallucinations, which are a defining feature of schizophrenia, are not mere figments of imagination but rather vivid, often distressing, and deeply influential aspects of their daily reality.

Today’s exploration aims to shed light on the phenomenon of hallucinations in schizophrenia, going beyond a diagnostic perspective to consider the actual experience, and the profound impact on an individual's sense of self and connection to the world around them. Host Rachel Star Withers, a diagnosed schizophrenic, and guest Christopher Grant have a real, raw discussion about what experiencing schizophrenia hallucinations is like.

“By the time I was in university, I started hearing whispering in the vents of my apartment. Then it suddenly became more focused. Like Command, go take a walk right now or this will happen to you. It continued on and it intensified all the way until as recently as 2022 I've had a lot of ups and downs. I've had a lot of moments where I hit rock bottom personally and then had to find a way to swim back up from that.” — Christopher Grant

“We would have classically called it spirits. My grandfather, before he died, when he heard that I was going through the symptoms of schizophrenia, he said, there's no word for it in Mi'kmaq. They just would have said, you're going through a test of the spirits. You’re going on this experience where you have to, learn yourself, learn your strengths, learn your boundaries, and don't give up no matter how turbulent it gets.”   — Christopher Grant


Our Guest, Christopher Grant, is a Mi’gmaw filmmaker from Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick. Inspired by the intense absurdity of life and death, Chris animates to express the humour and terror of existence. He has worked with the NFB’s Hothouse project, and his work has been exhibited at galleries, museums and film festivals internationally. He is also known for his role on TikTok as XORADMAGICAL, where he creates art and answers questions all relating to his experiences with schizophrenia in daily life.


Our host, Rachel Star Withers, (Link: www.rachelstarlive.com) is an entertainer, international speaker, video producer, and schizophrenic. She has appeared on MTV’s Ridiculousness, TruTV, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Marvel's Black Panther, TUBI’s #shockfight, Goliath: Playing with Reality, and is the host of the HealthLine podcast “Inside Schizophrenia”. She grew up seeing monsters, hearing people in the walls, and having intense urges to hurt herself.

Rachel creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage, and letting others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has created a kid’s mental health comic line, The Adventures of ____. (Learn more at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Fearless-Unstoppable-Light-Ambitious/dp/B0FHWK4ZHS )

Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Inside SchizophreniaBy Healthline Media

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

196 ratings


More shows like Inside Schizophrenia

View all
NEI Podcast by Neuroscience Education Institute

NEI Podcast

152 Listeners

The One You Feed by Eric Zimmer

The One You Feed

2,548 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,774 Listeners

Inside Mental Health by Healthline Media

Inside Mental Health

471 Listeners

Change Your Brain Every Day by Dr Daniel & Tana Amen

Change Your Brain Every Day

2,012 Listeners

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast by David Puder, M.D.

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

1,330 Listeners

The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast by Pocket Psychiatry: A Carlat Podcast

The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast

576 Listeners

Psychology Unplugged by Dr. Corey J. Nigro

Psychology Unplugged

724 Listeners

Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches by Randye Kaye

Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches

108 Listeners

Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined by BC Schizophrenia Society

Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined

22 Listeners

We Can Do Hard Things by Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

We Can Do Hard Things

41,466 Listeners

The Way Out Is In by Plum Village

The Way Out Is In

1,322 Listeners

Inside Bipolar by Gabe Howard & Dr. Nicole Washington

Inside Bipolar

235 Listeners

Medscape InDiscussion: Schizophrenia by Medscape

Medscape InDiscussion: Schizophrenia

7 Listeners

PsychRounds: The Psychiatry Podcast by Dr. Tanner Hewitt, Dr. Larry Wang and Dr. Bradley Miller

PsychRounds: The Psychiatry Podcast

137 Listeners