Today, I will discuss how I struggle with coincidence due to my paranoid schizophrenia. Often, as part of a paranoid episode, a train of thought can start with an understandable and realistic reaction. However, it may begin to go astray if similar circumstances reoccur, establishing what may feel like a pattern but may just be … Read more
The image is a free download by johnhain on pixabay.com Today, I wanted to write again about the two-way street of stigma. The stigma of mental illness, especially schizophrenia, is an undeniable destructive force in our society, and here I talk of Western culture, for I know little of how the stigma of mental illness … Read more
The image is a free download by geralt on pixabay.com This Blog is about schizophrenia and identity, what could be called schizophrenia identity disorder. However, one should contrast schizophrenia with a dissociative identity disorder as they are not the same mental illness. As I have shared with you, my debut fiction novel, about a mother … Read more
The image is courtesy of amazon.com This week, my fiction novel The Overlife, A Tale Of Schizophrenia, achieved Best Seller status on Amazon.com. To celebrate the event, Amazon.com sent me several photos, and I chose the above one for this brief blog. If you’re reading this before July 5, I have some exciting news for … Read more
I am a fiction writer living with paranoid schizophrenia. There is a lack of written material, fiction and non-fiction, by mental health consumers and their caregivers, about their experiences, goals, and loves. If you are a mental health consumer, start writing about your remarkable life. You can connect with mental health advocacy groups such as, … Read more
You are not alone as a mental health consumer living with schizophrenia! In the USA alone, about 2.8 million adults aged 18 or older live with this brain disorder. In Australia, 64,000 people aged 18-64 experience a psychotic illness. Psychosis can make you feel alone, and the associated stigma can make you feel rejected. In … Read more
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that is often shrouded in misunderstanding and fear. However, Diana Dirkby’s “The Overlife” cuts through this veil, offering a raw and honest portrayal of life lived in its shadow. Through the eyes of Sarah, a young girl thrust into the role of caregiver for her mother, Jodie, both diagnosed … Read more
Are you looking for a read that will blow your mind? Look no further because you are reading the right post! Diana Dirkby’s “Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies” isn’t your typical mystery book. It is rather a story that plunges into the abyss—a chilling exploration of the human psyche in which the sleepy town … Read more
Schizophrenia can be devastating, and who can interpret it better than Diana Dirkby? “The Overlife: A Tale of Schizophrenia” by Diana Dirkby isn’t a book you simply pick up and read. It’s an intimate world—a personal narrative filled with a melody of love and loss, tragically intertwined with the harsh notes of mental illness. Dirkby … Read more