Hello all! I'm very grateful to Ashley Smith for the chance to interview her about schizophrenia, her experience with the mental healthcare system and support networks, as well as what it is like to be a parent with schizophrenia! We also discuss her books and writing (Ashley has published seven books, runs the blog Overcoming Schizophrenia, and has served as a state Board Member for NAMI Georgia among many other things!).

Here are some links to learn more about Ashley or see her books:

Author Page:

amazon.com/author/smithashley

Blog: inherownink.blogspot.com

Facebook.com/inherownink

Linkedin.com/in/inherownink

Publishing Company Website:

www.inherownink.com

Blog: http://overcomingschizophrenia.blogspot.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 - 1:27: How Ashley received a diagnosis of schizophrenia

1:28 - 3:20: Navigating disclosure of schizophrenia and misconceptions

3:21 - 4:48: Experiences with the mental healthcare system

4:49 - 9:00: Advice for families members in supporting a loved one

9:01 - 10:52: Reaching a good place

10:53 -13:32 : What has your experience been with parenting?

13:33 - 16:08: Joy after challenges

16:09 - 19:07: Writing and books

As part of our standard disclaimer, we would like to note that this video is not meant to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health.

#schizoaffective #schizophrenia #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodivergent #interview #depression

Hello all! I’m so grateful to Tara (a psychiatrist, researcher, and neurodiversity ally) for taking the time to share her insight and experience. She shared a bit about her own experiences with social communication, sensory processing, and routines as a non-autistic (allistic) person as well as how she became involved in autism research and neurodiversity advocacy (and what she appreciates about the autistic community!). We also discuss several topics related to autism and psychosis, such as research on the overlap between the two and the high level of stigma around psychosis.

As part of our standard disclaimer, we would like to note that this video is not meant to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 6:20: How would you describe your neurotype?

6:21 - 8:04: Difference between strong hobbies and autistic special interests

8:05 - 12:58: How has your impression of autism evolved over time?

12:59 - 17:53: What do you most appreciate about the autistic community?

17:54 - 21:24: Thoughts on psychosis and neurodiversity

21:25 - 24:24: Distinguishing between autism, psychosis, or both

24:25 - 29:08: Does trauma tend to shape the type of hallucinations or delusions one experiences?

29:09 - 32:37: What resources on neurodiversity do you wish existed?

32:38 - 34:51: Closing

#autism #neurodiversity #psychosis #neurotypical #schizophrenia #autistic #neurodivergence #mentalhealth #psychiatry

Hello all! This is a little bit of a different video-- Morénike and I discuss autistic men! In particular, the video discusses different challenges that autistic men may be more likely to experience (e.g. being incorrectly perceived as dangerous, having experiences with anxiety or social isolation dismissed, etc.); cases where autistic traits in autistic men may be mistaken (incorrectly) for misogyny; and -- on the other hand-- cases where actual misogyny may be overlooked because it is accidentally attributed to autism. We also discuss resources that we wish existed for autistic men and other assorted topics, such as sensory friendly men's clothing.

Link to a related video on "edge cases" related to neurodiversity ("When neurodivergence is used to excuse harmful behaviours"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS7EyMDzRXI

 

Timestamps:

00:00 - 5:05: Are there challenges that autistic men are more likely to face?

5:06 - 17:08: Are autistic traits sometimes misunderstood as misogyny?

17:09 - 23:47: Are there times where actual misogyny goes underlooked because it’s attributed to autism?

23:48 - 26:00: (Preview for a future topic– does “anti-man” sentiment exist?)

26:01 - 30:32: Resources for autistic men

30:32 - 35:00: Autistic women and nonbinary individuals

35:01 - 36:58: Sensory friendly men’s clothing

#autistic #autism #autisticmen #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #actuallyautistic

Hello! I’m so grateful to Anthony for sharing his experiences with schizoaffective disorder and his insight and thoughtful approach on so many different topics. We wanted to add a content note for mentions of self-harm, trauma, and substance dependency in this video. We also just wanted to add (and we are hoping to add this as a standard disclaimer to our videos going forwards as well!) that All Neurotypes isn’t able to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and share the experiences of people with lived experiences (and hopefully decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health.)

Anthony shared vivid experiences with delusions, discussed experiences with trauma and healing from trauma, as well as his experience with Cobenfy. He also discussed working in peer support and what his advice would be for clinicians working with people who have schizoaffective disorder. Anthony also provided insight onto the challenges of living with disability benefits and the bureacracy that can often accompany navigating disability benefits, as well as many more topics.

#schizoaffective #psychosis #trauma #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #interview

1:20 - 5:00: Mental health diagnoses, role of trauma

5:01 - 14:45: First symptoms/traits of schizoaffective disorder

14:46 - 16:47: Vivid example of a delusion

16:48 - 18:12: Were you able to receive your SZA diagnosis quickly?

18:13 - 23:54: Advice for younger self on trusting people

23:55 - 26:19: Peer support and the importance of a personal connection

26:20 - 31:47: Isolation and common themes among people with SZA

31:48 - 39:23: Advice for peer support specialists/importance of honesty

39:24 - 40:22: Experiential empathy

40:23 - 53:00: Personal experience with Cobenfy

53:01 - 57:50: Mental health resources you’d like to see

57:51 - 1:03:20: The human connection in mental health support

1:03:21 - 1:04:20: Advice to people supporting a friend or a loved one

1:04:21 - 1:11:02: Personal experience with disability benefits

1:11:02 - 1:13:20: Finding joy in poetry

1:13:21 - 1:18:50: Advice to people with SZA who struggle with comparison

Thank you very much to Jenny Mai Phan (https://www.jennymaiphan.com/) for sharing her time and experiences about autistic masking and late diagnosis as well as her work and research on autism and puberty. This interview also discusses several other topics, such as autistic joy, parenting, representation of Asian American autistic individuals, daughter of immigrant parents, growing up in poverty and financial accessibility, and more.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 6:05: Growing up in a poor background/financial accessibility

6:06 - 11:45: Impact of socioeconomic status in ability to mask/unmask autistic traits

11:46 - 16:45: What changes would you like to see in the neurodiversity movement?

16:46 - 23:01: What advice do you have for mental healthcare providers?

23:02 - 27:17: What was it like to realize you were autistic

27:11 - 30:32: If you could time travel and give your younger self information, what would it be?

30:33 - 38:59: Research on autism and puberty

39:00 - 44:42: Autistic joy, parenting, and autistic Asian American representation

Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee.

#autism #autisticresearcher #autisticmasking #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #interview #neurodivergence #masking #latediagnosis

Hello! This interview with Schizoid Angst (https://www.youtube.com/@SchizoidAngst/videos, discord.gg/YfG5dTYVMR) provides an in-depth look at schizoid personality and how it relates to a need for autonomy. He discusses common themes he’s observed from interacting with so many people with schizoid personality, misconceptions about schizoid personality, and how he thinks schizoid personality develops. We also discuss his perceptions of praise and criticism, ideal (vs. non-ideal) social interactions, missing people, existential questions and internal world, and finally advice related to parenting with schizoid personality.

Timestamps:

00:00-3:20: Two theories of schizoid personality

3:21 -6:31 : Experiences with praise and criticism

6:32 - 9:22: How do you typically feel during social interactions?

9:23 - 14:40: Enjoyable vs. uncomfortable parts of social interactions?

14:41 - 24:45: Existential questions and internal world

24:46 - 29:20: Advice for people without schizoid personality

29:21 - 34:00: Did you always have schizoid traits or did they develop?

34:01 -36:44: Misanthropic time period

36:45-41:30 : Schizoid personality and parenting

41:31 - 46:48: Common themes/overlooked traits of Schizoid Personality

46:49- 52:00: Missing people and schizoid personality

52:01 - 55:50: How to tell if someone with schizoid personality is ghosting you or just needs space?

55:51 - 59:31: Angst’s Discord and Youtube Channel

Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee.

#neurodivergence #schizoid #neurodivergent #adhd #mentalhealth #existential #interview

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to interview Tiffany about her life and experiences with hallucinations and delusions (starting from a very early age.) Tiffany provided some incredible and vivid descriptions of what life with schizophrenia is like, what it is like to be undiagnosed for a long time period (and how an existing diagnosis of schizophrenia can make accessing other diagnoses more complicated), experiences with major episodes of psychosis, as well as the positive aspects of having schizophrenia (including one fantastic vision of a supportive pink platypus.)

Timestamps:

00:00 - 5:08: First experiences with delusions and hallucinations

5:09 - 6:55: How the initial delusions/hallucinations felt

6:56 - 10:50: What it’s like to be undiagnosed

10:51 - 13:47: What it was like to receive a diagnosis

13:48 - 16:50: How a schizophrenia/schizoaffective diagnosis can make other diagnoses more challenging

16:51 - 22:30: Experiences with four major episodes (common themes)

22:31 - 25:30: Differences between episodes

25:31 - 28:40: What it’s like to have delusions as a main trait/symptom

28:41 - 32:40: Experience with work and accommodations

32:41 - 33:18: Accommodations in an ideal world

33:19 - 34:49: What would you tell your younger self if you could time travel

34:50 - 37:00: Positives and closing thoughts

Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee.

#schizoaffective #schizophrenia #neurodiversity #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #interview

Hello! It was wonderful to have a chance to learn from S about schizotypal personality-- one theme throughout S's story is a deep sense of being different or "Anderssein". S also provides an in-depth overview of experiences with different traits of schizotypal personality, a tendency towards fantastic/paranormal things and conspiracy theories, as well as experiences in social interactions and elsewhere. S also discusses paranoia in schizotypal personality.

Timestamps:

00:00-1:07: Intro

1:08- 2:00: How would you define StPD?

2:01 - 3:35: Earliest traits/experiences of StPD

3:36 - 4:25: Experience with being diagnosed

4:26 - 6:40: How do you think your StPD developed?

6:41 - 8:20: Do you feel like you've had StPD your whole life?

8:21 - 9:13: Challenges with StPD

9:14 - 9:46: Did you have hallucinations, delusions, or psychosis?

9:47 - 10:40: Experiences with paranoia

10:41 - 11:43: Ideas of reference/constricted affect

11:44 - 12:26: Eccentric appearance

12:27 - 14:20: Misunderstandings about StPD

14:21 - 14:50: Do your emotions shift quickly or slowly?

14:51 - 15:31: Current traits/behaviours related to StPD

15:31 - 16:40: Final message

#schizotypal #paranoia #hallucinations #mentalhealth #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #neurodivergent

Hello! I'm very grateful to Morénike for sharing so genuinely about her experiences as an autistic person with MCI (mild cognitive impairment). This video discusses her experiences growing up autistic (and the nuances of accessing diagnosis and growing up in an immigrant household), as well as what it is like to realize one has MCI and/or a neurodegenerative condition and how inaccessible the world can be to people with neurodegenerative conditions (especially those who are also autistic!). We don't want to stigmatize any form of condition or disability, but also realise that for many people acquired disabilities such as neurodegenerative conditions can be a challenge to adjust to or come with a sense of loss-- especially in a world that is often unsupportive-- and so we hope our video may be helpful for anyone going through something similar.

Morénike's portion of the video was originally created for an autism/Alzheimer’s & related conditions symposium.

#neurodegenerative #autism #autistic #disability #mci #alzheimers #neurodiversity #neurodivergence

Hello all! I was thrilled to be able to interview Kai on schizotypal personality (StPD) and discuss several traits and experiences related to StPD. We go through several different traits such as hyperreflexivity, paranoia, reality checking, unusual perceptions, and more and also discuss traits that may be less frequently discussed or that are outside the typical DSM criteria for schizotypal personality (e.g. avolition). We also discuss the positives and challenges of life with schizotypal personality as well as what makes Kai an individual amongst people who are schizotypal.

Kai also has a Youtube channel (the Schizotypal Project)! Here’s the link for it: https://www.youtube.com/@SchizotypalProject/videos

0:00-1:50: Earliest signs of schizotypal personality

1:51 - 4:07: Hyperreflexivity

4:08-5:14: Paranoia

5:15-5:50: Reality checking

5:50 - 7:32: Saviour complex/delusions of grandiosity

7:33 - 9:43: Connected thinking

9:44 - 11:26: Disordered speech and unconventional/eccentric dressing

11:27 - 13:11: Atypical affect and ideas of reference

13:12 - 14:51: Hearing voices/unusual perceptions

14:52 - 16:39: Special topics (things outside the typical DSM traits)

16:40 - 17:45: Attempts to find self-understanding prior to diagnosis

17:46 - 19:08: Experience with friends or classmates growing up

19:09 - 20:19: How were you diagnosed with schizotypal personality?

20:20 - 22:02: Advice for mental health providers in working with people who have StPD

22:03 - 23:13: Enjoyable/positive aspects of having StPD

23:14 -24:20 : Challenging parts of having StPD

24:21 - 25:37: What makes you unique/an individual among people with StPD?

25:38 - 26:47: Closing thoughts

#schizotypal #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #mentalhealth #interview #psychology #hyperreflexivity #paranoia #connectedthinking #realitychecking