Schiz and Giggles

Mania and psychosis can land you in some WILD states and make you buy some WILD things! This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit tackle the wildest things they bought in psychosis (and Mania in Kit’s case). Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are wild enough on their own, but now Kit and Kody have some… interesting items in their possession, put it that way. Enjoy the episode—it’s a more ligh...

Catatonia is a complex syndrome of motor abnormality, usually landing someone in the state of being a statue. No moving, no talking, and no responding. But it’s more complicated than that. Catatonia has a bunch of symptoms, and can be found in both schizophrenia and affective disorders. Kody and Kit both face catatonia in varying degrees, and different ways too! Enjoy the episode and let us know w...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit are joined by Kody’s wife Allyson! Allyson and Kody have been together for many years, and as a result, have seen each other through quite a number of seasons when it comes to schizophrenia, autism, addiction, and just growing up! This conversation was a fun one, and we would love to hear what you think! And… are there any questions you want us to ask Allyson...

We are so excited to have Brett Wallis—Also known as Dadzo!—on the podcast this week. Brett is Kit’s dad and primary caregiver. He is also the mind behind the name of the podcast, so join Kody, Kit, and Brett as they have a conversation about caregiving, parenting someone with the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder, and just why we always say, “the brain is a minefield and we brought flip fl...

We are back with even more answers to YOUR questions! A while ago, we asked YOU for anonymous questions about schizophrenia, that… you might be afraid to ask. And what we got was dozens of good questions! Enter, Schiz & Giggles Q & A edition! Today is the last episode in this little mini series, and we definitely plan to do this again! Today’s episode covers some tough questions but always...

We have returned with more answers to YOUR questions! A while back, we asked YOU for anonymous questions about schizophrenia, that… you might be afraid to ask. And what we got was dozens of good questions! Enter, Schiz & Giggles Q & A edition! So today on the podcast, Kody and Kit answer even more questions that you guys had about schizophrenia! We loved doing this, and there might be a pa...

A while back, we asked YOU for anonymous questions about schizophrenia, that… you might be afraid to ask. And what we got was dozens of good questions! Enter, Schiz & Giggles Q & A edition! So today on the podcast, Kody and Kit answer some of these schizophrenia questions. Some are tough, some are scientific, and some are even funny. We also have had the podcast for one whole year!!! And i...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit are joined by Maye Jepson! Maye is the mother to a son living with schizoaffective disorder, and has a lot to say about the experience of being not a caregiver, but something she calld a “trust partner”. And she dives into just what that means in this episode. Maye has a lot of insight into what it’s like caring for someone with a severe mental illness, good...

Psychiatric medications bring a whole host of worries and fears, with a big one being… do they change who you are? This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit talk about how their psychiatric medications make them feel and whether they are changed because of their medications. It’s a deep dive, and hopefully it will let you know that, in the end, there is nothing to be afraid of! Follow the podcast on...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit are joined by Kaelynn Partlow: a prominent autism advocate and writer! She’s the author of Life on the Bridge —out now wherever you buy books!— and she is known for appearing in season one of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum. Kaelynn is a phenomenal advocate, educating millions, and we are so excited to have her on the show this week! Enjoy the episode, and let...

Pets are a major source of comfort for many, but did you know they can help those with severe mental illness too? Including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder? And in more ways than one? This week on the podcast Kody and Kit talk about their pets… and feature some furry friends as well. Both hosts benefit from having pets, and we hope you enjoy this exploration of what it means to have a p...

In the last few years, using the ketogenic way of eating as a metabolic therapy to treat mental health conditions like schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder has become more common. However, recent events have caused keto to be at the forefront, more so than in the past. So, this week on the podcast, Kody and Kit tackled keto and current events. They talk science, opinion, a...

After a several week break, we are BACK! This week on the Schiz & Giggles podcast Kody and Kit are joined by Michelle Hammer! Michelle lives with schizophrenia and runs Schizophrenic. NYC, a clothing and lifestyle brand that was established ten years ago! Michelle has a lot to say about what it’s like being an advocate on the streets of New York City, so enjoy the episode and let us know what...

Medication and therapy are mainstay for mental health conditions, especially for those on the schizophrenia spectrum. But did you know there are other treatment options out there? This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit address just that. They talk about specialized therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, but also touch on one more: EMDR. It’s a fun episode. En...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit are joined by Gabe Howard, a prominent mental health advocate who lives with bipolar disorder. Gabe has been advocating for over a decade, and has seen the many phases of advocacy over the years: how it started, how it went, and where it is today. Kody and Kit ask Gabe all sorts of questions, so as always, enjoy the episode and let us know what you think! Fol...

Many people know that psychotic episodes exist, but how about the fact that they have not one, not two, but three phases to them? This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit talk about the different phases of their psychotic breaks; how it started, how it went, and how it ended. With the idea to educate others about how psychosis is far more dynamic than people often think it is. Kody lives with schizo...

It wouldn’t be too far off to say that when someone has a severe mental illness—like schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder—there’s usually something else going on along with it. So, this week, Kody and Kit tackle their comorbidities. Kody talks about his experience with ADHD as someone who is also living with schizophrenia, and Kit tackles explaining her OCD as someone who deals with schizoaff...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit talk about celebrities with mental illnesses and how they advocate for their conditions. Kody speaks about celebrities with schizophrenia and Kit talks about ones with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Of course, some people from history are included! This was a fun episode to film, and if you liked it, let us know what you think! Follow the podc...

Delusions are fixed beliefs that are held regardless of fact and are an extremely common symptom in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. So, this week on the podcast, Kody and Kit tackle delusions and start the conversation about them. Both hosts hdeal with this symptom, but each of them experience this kind of psychosis in a different way. It just goes to show how different schizophrenia s...

This week on the podcast, Kody and Kit are joined by Stephen Lathrop from Surviving Schizophrenia. Stephen was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 12 and it drastically altered the course of his life. However, he decided to become a mental health advocate and turn his experience with schizophrenia into something that could help people. Today we talk about his resilience, and how he copes wi...

One of the toughest questions to answer when it comes to being mentally ill—-whether it’s anxiety and depression or schizophrenia—is when to tell others about it: loved ones, friends, and partners. So, this week on the podcast Kody (a schizophrenia advocate) and Kit (a schizoaffective advocate) talk about their differing perspectives on the matter. Both sides make good points, and there are pros a...

One thing that’s encouraged when it comes to mental illnesses—especially severe ones like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder—is self-awareness. But did you know that self-awareness in this context can be both a blessing and a curse? So, this week on the podcast, Kody and Kit tackle this dialectic and what it means for each of them. This episode is about the balance when it comes to treatin...

One thing a lot of those with disabilities face is ableism from other people. This goes for physical and mental disabilities. But did you know there can be internalized ableism as well? And even internalized stigma? So, this week on the podcast, Kody (diagnosed with schizophrenia) and Kit (diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder) tackle both of these. And… it might not be what you think. A lot of...

One tough thing about having a severe mental illness like schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder is that there… is an old version to mourn. Both Kody and Kit have things they miss when it comes to their disorders. Kody remembers very clearly a life before schizophrenia, and Kit remembers days when her symptoms were simpler and less severe. So, this week on the podcast, both list off a few thing...

One thing about having a social media presence—where one shares so much of their lives online to the world—is that showing mainly good times, and not bad times, is normalized. However, both Kody and Kit show their good days AND their bad days! So, this week on the podcast, they talk about it. What is a good day like for someone with schizophrenia? What is a bad day like for someone with schizoaffe...