Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches Randye Kaye

Send a Text to the Moms
Ever wonder what psychosis feels like. From someone who has experienced it and now has the insight so many of our loved ones do not have?
We’re lucky to have permission instead to repost this recording from The Schizophrenia Society of York University in Canada.
 SSY  is the first and only schizophrenia awareness club organization at York University. 
It  raises awareness and humanizes individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. They provide a voice for people with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, and create an atmosphere of de-stigmatization at York University.
SSY collaborated with the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC) for this - their 4th annual panel event, "Duality of the Reality: Living with Psychosis." 
The purpose of this event is to hear real-life lived experiences and stories of success, hope, struggles and coping from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis.
I was delighted to join Christopher Grant (artist known as xoradmagical on social media), and Matthew Dickson (bicycled across Canada to raise funds for mental health services).
You’ll hear the panel in three parts - First,  my story of the family POV when psychosis occurs, then Matthew, then Christopher - who reminded me so much of my son Ben’s experience, it almost felt like I was having the conversation with him I wish I could have - if there were insight.


LINKS:
Schizophrenia Society of Canada:
https://schizophrenia.ca/


Schizophrenia Society of York Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ssyyorku/?hl=en


Christopher Grant linktree:
https://linktr.ee/xoradmagical


Matthew Dickson Mind Aid:
https://www.mindaid.ca/


Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/
Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/
Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/
iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
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Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms
In this episode, listeners tell us what's on their minds and we answer as best we can.  We talk about anosognosia, incarceration, psychotic delusions, what we would have done differently if we'd known then what we know now, and lots more.

We open with a poem by a listener who is diagnosed with SZ:
Dale Walsh Poem - “I am a recovered reaching out help lessen the challenges encountered by family caregivers”


Source Of My Unique Thinking


Seeing laughter from challenged kid
Reminds me of all things I hid
About everything I did


And Joke I made was big mistake
As claim "I'm GOD" I did make
Which at last turned out to be fake


Though reason I sought out Godhead
Was due to a great sense of dread
I felt knowing I will be dead


At least physically one day
And so I found alternative way
To fight my body's slow decay


By saying I shall live forever
And pass into next life never
Not ready Earth ties to sever


So now I am guided by Lord
Who's my integrity restored
The ONE Whom I always adored.


4/28/24
National Poetry Month






Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/
Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/
Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/



iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
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Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms
A new book, Awakenings, has just been released. It describes the journeys of 28 remarkable people who are now thriving despite being diagnosed with SZ. The authors and contributors hope to show that with newer treatments, and also social support and therapy, recovery is possible.
Guests: 
Bethany Yeiser, President of CURESZ Foundation (https://curesz.org/) and co-author of the book. The CURESZ Foundation offers advocacy, information, advice, as well as educational and supportive resources to enhance the understanding of schizophrenia as a treatable neuropsychiatric illness 
Leif Gregersen, from patient to hospital faculty 
Lesley McCuaig, athlete and mental health counselor 
J Peters, author and social worker
Each guest will share their stories, and the moms will ask questions.
Links:
Awakenings Book:
https://a.co/d/9fMt9oz


CURESZ:
https://curesz.org/
Bethany TEDx Talk:
https://youtu.be/iPGd6l76l9A?si=ZZI42ecdh24MxZkS


CURESZ YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@cureszfoundation7671


Here is Lesley's website:
www.lesleymccuaig.com


Leif's blog:
www.edmontonwriter.com


J Peters' blog
https://mentalhealthaffairs.blog/


Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/
Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/
Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/





iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
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Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms
Guest: 
Annie Slease, Co-Founder of the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative
Do you have a loved one with Serious Mental Illness?
Do you wonder why it took so long for someone to recognize the symptoms?
Mental Health Literacy would have helped prevent the crises we have dealt with.
The mission of the MHLC is to make evidence-based mental health literacy a foundational part of PK-12 education and communities.
Annie Slease, M.Ed. (she/her) is co-founder and Advocacy Director of the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative (themhlc.org), a national non-profit dedicated to making evidence-based mental health literacy foundational in PK-12 schools and communities.
When her child’s mental health crisis emerged over a dozen years ago, Annie was a classroom teacher unaware of mental health literacy. Inspired by her experience navigating family mental illness without information or support, and eventually navigating the criminal justice system as well, Annie repurposed her 25-year teaching career into advocacy.


We ask:
What is the MHLC doing?
Who are you serving?
What are your priorities?
What can people do to get involved, or get information and help?


Links:
https://www.themhlc.org/
https://stillhopefulmom.blogspot.com/


Mindy and her book: https://mindygreiling.com/
Randye and her book: https://www.randyekaye.com/
Miriam and her book: https://www.miriam-feldman.com/



Hosts:
Who:
Randye Kaye - was a morning Radio Personality bringing humor to CT families when her own son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now she is still a Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (Ben Behind his Voices, Happier Made Simple)
Miriam Feldman -  is an artist, writer, and the mother of an adult son with schizophrenia. Her book, He Came in With It chronicles her family's story and was released to rave reviews on July 21st, 2020.
Mindy Greiling - Mindy Greiling was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for twenty years. She helped found the nation's first state mental health caucus, which successfully lobbied for a significant increase in Minnesota's mental health funding Her acclaimed memoir is Fix What You Can.



iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
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Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

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Guest: 
Lauren Yasuda Rainey , DDS
We ask about getting people with schizophrenia to care for their teeth, if/how medications affect teeth, the effect of Medicaid only paying for annual cleanings and check ups, compared to private insurance that pays for twice a year. Many of our listeners have asked for a show on dental issues and of course we are interested too!
Dr. Lauren Yasuda Rainey completed a General Practice Residency at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
 At Tufts, a majority of her time was treating persons with medically complex needs and managing patients with her co-residents that came through Tufts Medical Center Emergency Department.
Currently she teaches dentists in the US & Canada minimally invasive restorative techniques. 
We ask:


1. What do you recommend to patients and/or their families for getting people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses (SMI) to care for their teeth?
2. Do medications, especially psych meds, affect teeth? If so, how?
3. What is the effect of Medicaid only paying for annual cleanings and checkups, compared to private insurance that usually pays for twice a year?
4. What challenges have you encountered in caring for people with SMI? 
Links:


www.laurenrainey.com
@raineydds
https://www.catapulteducation.com/blog/laurenyasudarainey

Randye on Lisa Wexler show re incarceration and SMI:
https://shows.acast.com/6398bb70ee249200127c1182/episodes/randye-kayes-personal


Products:
https://carifree.com/
https://cocofloss.com/

(The founder of Cocofloss, another mom dentist, is providing the PROMO code for your podcast listeners to purchase pH 8 toothpaste!

THREEMOMS for 15% off sitewide thru 6/30 on Cocofloss.com)


https://www.voco.dental/us/home.aspx

To purchase pH balanced anti-cavity products visit: https://carifree.com/shop/
To find a dentist that carries & is knowledgeable about those pH balanced products in-office visit: https://carifree.com/find-a-dentist/
Other products mentioned:
RiseWell Scrubby floss infused with hydroxyapatite to remineralize teeth
https://risewell.com/products/scrubby-floss


Cocoshine toothpase, pH 8, whitening and remineralizing, mint and lychee breeze flavors:

iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
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Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms
Guests are: Karlyn Nelson and Michelle Post


Karlyn Nelson
Survivor of Suicide Loss | Breast Cancer Warrior | Realtor

Michelle Post, M.A., is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC 40198) with nearly 20 years of experience providing counseling and psychotherapy to clients in the greater Los Angeles area


According to the NIMH, People with schizophrenia have a much higher rate of suicide than the larger population: People with schizophrenia have a 10% rate of suicide compared with the larger population’s 1.3%rate of suicide. 


Suicide is the biggest reason for the decreased life expectancy of people with schizophrenia. 
                                                                                                                        
A larger number of people with schizophrenia contemplate suicide. Around 40–79% of people with schizophrenia have reported having suicidal thoughts.


Saddest fact is that it is at the time of improved insight that most attempts are made. ie. when the person has finally moved past anosognosia and realizes his plight it is with improved understanding that this decision is made.


We Ask:
What is an “emotional heart attack”/What are "The Five Things" when dealing with suicide loss in the family?:

Get help yourself (best indicator of how well a child does after the death of a parent is how well the surviving parent copes… so if only one can get help, needs to be the parent).Use truthful and clear info about the cause of death and explain it in child terms – let the child lead with questions – do not over load them with info.  They will need different info as they ageAcknowledge and validate a child’s feelingsReassure them they are not to blameAddress their fears and anxietiesEncourage them to continue routine activities, structure gives them a sense of securityInclude them in as many memorial / activities around the illness, injury, and death as they choose.Prepare themLet them make an informed decisionShare info and allow participationDebrief with them.3. What can be done for suicide  prevention?


LINKS:
Suicide hotline: 988

https://postfamilycounseling
iMOM PodcastIf you need a mom friend right now, you’ve come to the right place.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify
Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman