Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined

S6E1: Recovery Road: Matthew's Journey with Schizophrenia

In this episode of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-examined, we explore recovery beyond medical definitions and diagnoses. Host Faydra Aldridge introduces a new era of the podcast which now available in both audio and video by bringing listeners face-to-face with two powerful stories. Matthew shares his decades-long journey to remission, the role medication and reflective self-work have played in his life, and how purpose fuels his advocacy through Mind Aid. Abigail offers a different path, one that includes sobriety, shifting diagnoses, daily self-care, and learning to live well while still managing symptoms. Together, their stories challenge stigma and remind us that recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personal, evolving, and deeply human.Timecodes:(01:05) What recovery really means (not what you think)(03:08) The moment schizophrenia hit(05:20) The medication that changed everything(07:30) The day Matthew's symptoms suddenly stopped(08:40) Recovery vs cure (10:10) Why Matthew refuses to stop medication(12:49) “You still get to write your story”(14:03) Breaking the stigma around schizophrenia(15:20) What recovery really looks like(16:14) 27 months sober: Abigail’s story(17:30) Years of misdiagnosis(18:45) What schizophrenia actually feels like(20:00) The daily habits that keep Abigail stable(21:34) Why recovery is still possibleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6A New Chapter for Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined

In this special introduction, host Faydra Aldridge shares what’s new in Season 6 of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined.This season brings a new magazine-style format, more voices from across the mental health community, and for the first time: video episodes! Alongside firsthand stories and expert perspectives, the show will explore topics including recovery, caregiving, media representation, art therapy, and the role of artificial intelligence in mental wellness.Featuring conversations with guests such as MindAid founder Matthew Dickson, Dr. Xavier Amador and Frank Kosa of the Brain Stories podcast, CBC and UBC's Kathryn Gretsigner, and art therapist Nicole Parekh, to name a few.Be sure to subscribe to Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined on YouTube, or follow wherever you get your podcasts.Show Notes:- BCSS YouTube ChannelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined Season 6 Trailer

In Season 6 of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-examined, host Faydra Aldridge goes beyond the stereotypes, the headlines, and the stigma surrounding serious mental illness. This season explores a host of topics that include what recovery really means, the realities of caregiving, pressures within the mental health system, the role media plays in the portrayal of serious mental illness, and how artificial intellence is impacting wellness.Through firsthand stories and expert insight, each episode challenges listeners to reconsider long-held assumptions about living well with mental illness. Honest, thoughtful, and community-focused, Season 6 also introduces a new video format, with episodes available on YouTube.Follow Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined and join us for the new season which starts March 25th.Show Notes:- BCSS YouTube ChannelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5Faydra Aldridge: My Famliy’s Schizophrenia Story

In the final episode of our World Schizophrenia Day series, we revisit a deeply personal episode of Look Again. Host Faydra Aldridge shares her family’s journey with Schizophrenia.Before her sister, Carissa Lynn, was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Faydra thought it was something that happened to others. In this powerful episode, Faydra is joined by her mother, Linda, and they revisit the challenges and heartbreaking moments of a family living with the realities of severe mental illness.Follow Look Again to be notified when our show returns with new episodes. Until then, share your thoughts with us here. Leave a review so others can find our show.Resources:Learn more about BCSS Family Support GroupsListen to the “Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined” episodes touching on anosognosia:The Truth Behind Psychiatric MedicationHearing VoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5Psychosis and Violence: Debunking the Misconceptions

In this third episode of our World Schizophrenia Day series, we revisit eye-opening discussion about how our misconceptions of schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses can fuel the misunderstanding and stigma that people living with psychosis face.While there's no way to predict whether a person with a mental illness will become violent, depictions in media, TV, and movies sometimes perpetuate a conception that they are unpredictably violent. But how accurate is this belief, and how does it affect those living with mental health conditions?Dr. Rakesh Lamba, Medical Director at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, discusses how family and caretakers can assess risk factors.Follow Look Agan to hear more informed discussions like this one that break down misconceptions and paint a more compassionate portrait of living with mental illness. Until then, share your thoughts with us here. Leave a review so others can find our show.Resources:Schizophrenia - Warning Signs of ViolenceDr. Rakesh Lamba’s bioPHSA Forensic Psychiatric ServicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.