Not As Crazy As You Think Podcast

In the episode, “A Lived Experience Dialogue: Facing Our Pasts, Reinventing Our Futures with Tom Woodrow and Mike Panasitti (S6, E7),” I sit with two success stories of people who have suffered with forms of mental illness who have come out on the other side. Part 1:When Tom Woodrow was 17, his life took a sharp turn. During a road trip with friends, Tom experienced his first manic episode, and subsequently ended up in a psychiatric hospital-misdiagnosed with depression and subjected to electroshock therapy. After years of struggling, and after nearly losing his life in India during a volunteer trip, he met two counselors from a mental health charity, who taught him to manage moods, avoid triggers, and stay well with skills that have kept him stable for 20 years. Today he helps others who also live with bipolar disorder, understanding how overwhelming it can be. He offers support programs that help people manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives.To learn more about Tom, follow him at: Instagram: @bipolarwithyouPart 2:Mike Panasitti was born in East Los Angeles in 1969 and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a former patient of California's Department of State Hospitals.  From 2015 to 2018 he was a prisoner at New Folsom, a maximum security prison near Sacramento.  Mike is now an exhibiting artist, as well as a poet and prose writer whose publishing credits include poems in Matter, creative non-fiction in WALL Literary Journal, and over 40 short stories posted on Reedsy Prompts.  He currently lives in the city of Santa Ana and is enrolled as a student of creative writing at Saddleback College.  Mike shares how he become acquainted with the mental health industrial complex and bravely reveals what he's learned from prolonged institutionalization. Envisioning a new path, Mike is committe3d to making his dreams come true as a professional artist and writer. To learn more about Mike, follow him at:Instagram: @mikepanasittiDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

In the episode, "Spotlight on Psychotherapy Beyond Traditional Boundaries with Al Galves: Finding Well-being by Targeting the Underlying Causes of Mental Distress, (S6, E6)" psychoanalyst Galves joins the show to share his own personal lived experience and his insight on the problems with the traditional treatment model in psychiatry. Author of "Harness Your Dark Side: Mastering Jealousy, Rage, Frustration and Other Negative Emotions," Al shares compelling stories that reveal the importance of addressing unmet emotional needs to combat depression and dissatisfaction.Galves challenges the medical model of mental illness arguing that mental health issues are not just biological disorders to be masked with medication but are tied to our emotions and life experiences. He emphasizes taking personal responsibility and explores the profound benefits of psychotherapy and other alternative approaches like support groups and exercise. Discover why confronting your emotions—even the negative ones—can lead to authentic personal growth as Al underscores the significance of connection, self-expression, and capability in fostering mental health and happiness.  Al dives into the complex nature of diagnoses like psychosis, highlighting the importance of understanding these conditions as responses to overwhelming experiences rather than mere pathologies. Through therapeutic approaches like the Soteria House model and the work of psychologist John Weir Perry, we explore how psychosis and other mental health issues can be seen as survival strategies. Al's compassionate insights challenge the limitations of the medical model, offering listeners a glimpse into a more humanistic and empowering approach to mental well-being. Don't miss Al's generous offer of his book and insights for those eager to explore these ideas further. If you'd like a copy of his book, email him and let him know: agalves2003@comcast.netFollow Al Galves at:Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-galves-b9b26752/YouTube: @algalves3512website: www.algalves.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

In the episode, "Finding the Support and Mindset to Be Bold, Invite in Change, and Regain Play with Mr. D (S6, E5)", I invite back my former Social Studies grammar school teacher, Don DiBenedetto, or Mr. D, to share his anecdotes and enthusiasm for how to bring in change into your life through learning how to align with the right mindset. Now a teacher of spirituality, Mr. D shows us through a variety of techniques how we all can co-create with the universe to bring into our lives our greatest wishes and dreams.#bipolarartist #manic #depression  #joyfulness #changefromwithin #wordsofwisdom #notascrazyasyouthink #mentalillness #mentalhealth #manifestingchange Follow Mr. D on:TikTok: @intro2spiritualityIG: @dondibenedetto1946Facebook: @dondibenedettoDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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In the episode, "Exploring Subconscious Architecture with Manex Ibar, Shaman, Mystic and Founder of Sphinx Code" (S6, E2), Manex shares his personal journey in discovering his shamanic path and how others can too. Manex points out that many who are tribal shamans, were initiated by those already on the path, unlike many in Western cultures, who are often considered psychotic. Manex speaks about his channeled system of the Sphinx Code and how it can help others find their unique path and also shares about the science and spiritual perspective of the psychedelic revolution and what plant medicine can teach us. Manex shares stories of others who have come into their own states of illumination through taking the shamanic path and brings to light how these ancient practices have a deeper technology that many of the modern world overlooks. Manex has an amazing gift with channeling wisdom from the other side and has astute clarity on this intriguing topic that he feels is his life purpose to share.Bio:Shaman Manex Ibar, a Mystic renowned for his transformative work as a spiritual guide, healer, and teacher. With a deep focus on reconnecting with nature's wisdom and unlocking our innate consciousness, Manex offers psychic clarity and practical techniques to illuminate individual paths toward realizing one's highest potential. From everyday individuals to prominent figures like doctors, CEOs, and celebrities, Manex has empowered a diverse range of clients, drawing upon his initiation into the Lakota medicine tradition at the age of 16 and wisdom gleaned from 12 master teachers across various lineages, including Tibetan Bon, Shoshone, and Algonquin traditions.Through channeling and personal encounters with nature's elements, such as surviving lightning strikes, Manex simplifies complex spiritual concepts, facilitating transformative experiences with spirit consciousness. As the visionary founder of Sphinx Code, he leads the charge in pioneering the science of subconscious architecture, revolutionizing approaches to personal growth and enlightenment for seekers worldwide.Learn more about Manex on his website: https://manexibar.com/Discover your Sphinx Code: https://sphinxcode.com/ Manex Ibar's essential oils have a very powerful effect on helping get out of depression/oppression (number 2 oil for energy is especially helpful) www.frequence.lifeFollow Manex at: https://www.facebook.com/manechibarhttps://x.com/manexibar/https://www.linkedin.com/in/manex-ibar-778217/https://www.instagram.com/theshamansays/#mentalhealth #plantmedicine #shamanicjourney #sweatlodge #sphinxcodePlease visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "An Interview with Delicia Niami, Author of Kissing Asphalt: On Trauma, Healing, and Resilience (S6 E1)," Delicia joins the show sharing her 3 part memoir series, Resilient AF. The first book in the series, Kissing Asphalt: The Courageous True Story of One Child's Unbreakable Spirit—From Kidnapping & Abuse to Self-Love, tells the story of her early years within a traumatic set of experiences many might not have bounced back from. At the early age of 7, Delicia experienced being kidnapped by her own dad and brought to Bagdad Iraq. Through all the trauma, Delicia shines light on the energy of growing up as a member of Generation X-- the culture of no phones and limited check up by parents--highlighting her deep interest in the GoGos and her adventures in weed culture. Her courage in sharing her ongoing dealings with molestation and how that colored her relationship with intimacy and relationships provides hope for anyone who experiences such violation.Delicia's second book, Not My Circus, chronicles the goings-on inside the courtroom dealing with her mother's murder, while Book 3, The Queen of Silver Linings, shares Delicia's healing journey using a variety of alternative modalities. Delicia uncovers a resilience within and offers a restorative view of how to keep moving forward in the face of such obstacles. For anyone who has struggled with childhood trauma, Delicia's unflinching journey through darkness and back to light will resonate. She has decided to share her story publicly in hopes that it will serve as a guide to the many who have suffered in silence and continue to struggle against the daunting weight imposed by childhood trauma.Buy Delicia's book on Amazon or choose her Audiobook Learn more about Delicia on her website: https://kissingasphalt.com/ #mentalhealth #trauma #recovery #resilientAF #livedexperience #kidnapping  #plantmedicine #kissingasphalt #notmycircus #generationx #molestationPlease visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "An Interview with Tanya Frank, Author of Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood (S5, E15)," Tanya lends her powerful voice to the show, sharing her insight and experience with the mental health industry.  Tanya's association with the mental health system began in 2009 when Zach, Tanya's son, was diagnosed in 2009 after his first episode with hearing voices.  Both Zach and Tanya were not happy with the treatment offered, and Tanya opens up about his forced drugging and coercive hospitalization, as well as the alternative treatments that lent hope and relief. Tanya also shares differences and similarities in mental health approaches to treatment between the US, the UK, and other nations that are moving onto a more compassionate path, who utilize programs such as Open Dialogue and the Soteria Network.  Tanya acts as an advocate for families with experience of psychosis and stresses the importance of such support. While she acknowledges the power of the institution, she sees a new revolution emerging, consisting of a growing movement of critics of the status quo, as more people come forward to share their own stories and challenge the current paradigm. Tanya's compassionate perspective and courageous heart gives hope to all who have lost faith in a system, that for so many survivors, not only proved unhelpful but aggressively harmful. Tanya's book is so beautifully written with honesty, rawness, and openness, and her presence on the podcast is equally moving and enlightening. To buy Tanya's book, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Zig-Zag-Boy-Memoir-Madness-Motherhood/dp/0393531880Bio: Tanya Frank gained her MFA in Creative NonFiction at the University of California, Riverside. Her debut book, ZIG ZAG BOY: MOTHERHOOD, MADNESS & LETTING GO (Spring 2023) was an editors pick in the New York Times Review of Books. Tanya currently lives in London where she teaches and mentors writers with lived experience of psychosis. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Washington Post and in various literary journals. She is the recipient of a 2022 Develop Your Creative Practice Award from the Arts Council England.To learn more about Tanya, go to her website at: https://www.tanyafrank.com/or follow her on Twitter: @TanFrankUK#mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychosis #bigpharma #forceddrugging #livedexperience #psychsurvivor #forcedhospitalization #schizoaffective #DSM #ZigzagBoyPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "The Vision and Voice of Janet Werner: The Documentary, the Movie, the Movement (S5, E14)," Janet joins the show to share her message on spiritual emergencies shedding light on the spiritual side of mental health, and specifically, the spiritually transformative experiences that often get misdiagnosed as mental illness.Forty-four years ago while in her master's degree program Janet had an astonishing mystical experience which turned into a spiritual emergency and resulted in being misdiagnosed as Bipolar, involuntarily hospitalized and required to take Lithium against her will. Twenty-five years later in 2005, Janet had another spiritual awakening, which was immediately pathologized given the prejudice from her former misdiagnosis. She was again involuntarily hospitalized, misdiagnosed as Bipolar and coerced into medication against her will. She is now speaking out to raise awareness of the spiritual side of mental health and specifically the DSM V code entitled "Religious or Spiritual Problem": V62.89.Janet shares her personal journey with spiritual emergency, and how that has brought her to where she is today-- the leader of a global team of mental health experts, who are developing a docuseries (Breaking Open, Breaking Down, Breaking Through) and a mainstream feature movie (Calling God to the Witness Stand).  Bio: Janet Werner is an independent entrepreneur and the President of U Have My Word LLC (www.UHaveMyWord.com)  since 1988, which is a corporate consulting firm specializing in large scale system change. She is also the founder of a Meaningful Media that Matters in Mental Health project and Her mission is to ease the journey through change, transition and on to transformation, within and around the mental health system. Along with her team she is leading an initiative to include spiritual competency in the 988 first responder training. Janet is also partnering with her team to establish a coalition of religious & spiritual leaders in New Jersey for the purpose of including these resources in mental health crisis support and patient care when hospitalized.  #bigpharma #spiritualemergency #mentalhealth #mentalillness #forcedhospitalizationTo learn more about Janet and her projects, go to:Calling God to the Witness Stand™ -Video sample of Calling God to the Witness Stand (2) Calling God to the Witness Stand PR Media - YouTubeRethinking Mental Health FacebookMedia that Matters FacebookJanet's story recorded at Rutgers University Assessing for Spiritual Emergency | Spiritual EmergencyYouTube live on 988:https://youtu.be/zNt277TYcnQ?si=4DsBGGCpHTev3lDrYouTube live on Psych Rights:https://youtu.be/ADyn31uUPno?si=IoIzxLj4-32Rn29H

In the episode, "On the Polycrisis with Mark McCormack: Psychiatric Coercion, Hegel, A.I. and Saving Humanity (S5, E13),"  Mark begins with sharing his intimate experience with psychiatry and its oppressive structure. A peaceful protestor of 20 years, while on a hunger strike protesting the polycrisis, Mark describes how the institution overtook his life through forced hospitalization and a list of human rights violations. He speaks of his pressing class action lawsuit, which holds accountable the mental health care system in Canada with potential to go global.Mark also reveals his passion behind the German philosopher, G.W.F Hegel, whose work may pave the way to creatively and strategically confront  head on the polycrisis, which includes climate change, artificial intelligence, and Crispr technology, among others. With the coming AI age and possible reality collapse in our future, Mark addresses the oncoming mental health crisis or possible mass psychosis that may emerge. He believes incorporating Hegel's philosophy into A.I. research on alignment issues, may help create a benevolent AGI, which can reach the only outcome with which humans can co-exist. Hegel arrived just before modern psychiatry took a more reductionist road, and returning to his holistic and spiritual philosophy may hold the answer for our future. Mark believes in this path so whole heartedly, that he has called out for experts in their fields to unite and claim as a team the upcoming 6 Nobel prizes to legitimize the seriousness of the situation we are currently facing today existentially.Bio:Mark McCormack is a philosophy enthusiast at the University Of Alberta. He is passionate about social justice and led a group named Make Poverty History for many years. His studies have ranged across all religions and systems including the German philosopher G.W.F Hegel. After a few thousand hours studying the Science Of Logic, Mark believes there is a way to create a peaceful revolution and New World Spirit for society which would require transformation of the mental healthcare system. Having gone on a hungerstrike as part of a union initiative of Uber drivers, Mark discovered deep fissures in the system which allowed his human rights to be violated in several ways. His goal now is to make this peaceful revolution a reality to address the escalating mental health crisis arising from reality collapse as the polycrisis continues.#polycrisis #artificialintelligence #realitycollapse #mentalhealth #mentalillness #Hegelianswhowanttochangetheworld #livingphilosophy #NobelsurprizeReferences:Nobel Surprize (10 hour No Cree Council)https://youtu.be/cKEtPIryrNYFollow Mark at:Facebook: www.facebook.com/peacefulrevolution23LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmccormack23/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritpeacefulrevolution3523Please visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "On Location in NYC: Believing in Yourself with Ballet Dancer and Podcaster Michelle Williams (S5, E12)," Michelle and I reconnect to do another podcast on location in NYC. Born and bred in California, Michelle hits the streets of NYC to reclaim her original dream of living as a professional dancer. She shares what kept her believing in herself and how she stayed the course toward manifesting her dream. Michelle and I also share our stories of lived experience with the mental health industry--from being forced on debilitating meds to having our closest friends and family lose faith in our abilities. After suffering from an eating disorder and seeing how the psychiatric institution dismissed her concerns around the psych meds' side effects, she turned to alternative modalities of natural healing in everything from energy medicine to healing through food. Michelle is also the podcast host and creator of "MacroMagic With Michelle," where she helps her listeners achieve greater personal freedom, health, happiness and peace through her MACRObiotic perspective.To listen to our podcast recorded last year titled, "Natural Medicine: Holistic Healer Michelle Williams Shares a Journey of Alternative Healing (S4 E9),"   go to:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/11131458Follow Michelle on IG @the_freedom_fairywebsite: https://thefreedomfairy.com/YouTube: @The Freedom FairyDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Exploring the Healing Power of Laughter with Barry Taylor, Founder of Laugh Therapy (S5, E11)," Gelotologist and accredited Laughter Therapist, Barry Taylor joins the show and shares the beneficial healing benefits laughter can produce. Using techniques in the area of laughter therapy, Barry pulls from his background as a former English and drama teacher to bring play into programs and workshops that facilitate an uplifting  change in our state of mind, which can ultimately aid us in our mental health. When we laugh, activation of positive chemicals that make us feel safe, lift our mood, and make us relax, creates within us an altered perspective allowing us to manage our difficulties a little better. Barry reminds us that we can use these techniques as a complementary therapy and that we have this infinite access within us, which can be part of our toolchest of healing coping skills. Barry's mirthfulness and sense of humor is contagious, and his extensive research in this area shows how important such a simple tool like laughter can be.Founder of a UK based organization called ‘Laugh Therapy', Barry designs bespoke programs (both live and virtually) for business teams, health and social care, charities and support groups, education, and individuals who want to achieve greater wellbeing and success by exploring the therapeutic effects of humor, play and laughter. If you would like to learn more about the therapeutic benefits of laughter or are interested in a virtual workshop for your workplace, group or just personally, visit www.LaughTherapy.LOL - or you can email direct at info@LaughTherapy.LOL where Barry will respond personally and provide a discount for anyone using the phrase ‘Not As Crazy As You Think' in their enquiry.Follow Barry on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/LaughTherapyUKhttps://twitter.com/LaughTherapyUKhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-taylor-laugh-therapy/Please visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Global Sustainability Through Healing Our Collective Trauma with Benjamin Casteillo, founder of New World Together (S5, E10)," Benjamin begins with sharing his spiritual emergency beginning in 2004, which involved the forcible, inhumane treatment of the psychiatric institution. After going deep into inner realms, Benjamin realized he needed to change his direction.  In 2017, Benjamin Casteillo made the bold decision to leave behind a successful corporate career as a senior manager and expert consultant. His goal was to concentrate on finding solutions to the pressing global issue of sustainability, with a special emphasis on discovering and addressing the hidden root causes of the problem with human centered solutions. This decision marked the beginning of an intense and enlightening journey of consciousness awakening and expansion, leading to numerous realizations. In 2019, he founded New World Together, an independent project that focuses on transdisciplinary research and education. Today, Benjamin is dedicated to sharing groundbreaking knowledge that expands human consciousness and catalyzes deep system change toward desirable and sustainable futures for all. Through conferences, workshops and training programs, his goal is to empower individuals and communities to be part of the solution in a meaningful and fulfilling way.Benjamin opens up about what these root causes are to unsustainability, and describes how it encompasses more than just ecology and the environment.  He suggests that humanity is simply unconscious of these drivers and that we must make the collective unconscious conscious. He speaks about how our cycles of primal survival are now outdated with the oncoming technological exponentials heading our way in our modern age of artificial intelligence. With increasing technologies, more psychological stress has been added to our lives, and many deal with this through denialism. Benjamin describes factors that are affecting sustainability starting from the Great Acceleration, to scientific reductionism, and our obsession with hoarding resources through capitalism. Humans have become rivals of each other, instead of uniting as a community to deal with the unresolved collective trauma of our species, but Benjamin's message of hope reminds us we still have time to make a difference. To learn more about Benjamin Casteillo, go to his website at: https://newworldtogether.com/Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.casteillo/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-casteillo/#sustainability #greatacceleration #colonization #denialism #capitalism #mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychiatricharm #forceddrugging #unresolvedtrauma #AIrevolutionPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "On Nutrition, Exercise, and Emotional Fitness with Author and Fitness Expert  David Greenwalt (S5, E9)," David shares his wisdom on overall health after being in the business for over 30 years . David discusses how along with nutrition and activity, emotional fitness is a crucial component to maintaining your fitness goals long term. Involving self-awareness, self-regulation, social connections, and feeling authentically good, strengthening our emotional fitness can change our lives.  David also points to the latest studies regarding ultra-processed foods and their link to depression and anxiety. A health coach to the core, David shares advice on how to squeeze in the most basic essential exercise even into the busiest schedule. BioDavid Greenwalt is a Certified Health Coach, fitness expert, and author of the book, “The Leanness Lifestyle.” Formerly a police officer, gym owner, competitive state-level body builder, and powerlifter, in 1997, at age 32 and a body weight of 235 pounds, David discovered an evidence-based approach for getting off his own 50 excess pounds and keeping it off for 25 years and counting. Since 1999, through his company Leanness Lifestyle University, David has been helping student members, from every walk of life, lose excess fat, keep the muscle and manage this crazy life.Buy his book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leanness-Lifestyle-David-Greenwalt/dp/0971819807Learn more about David and Leanness Lifestyle University at: https://linktr.ee/llu180#EmotionalFitness #ultraprocessedfoods #BigFood #mental health #anxiety #depression #nutrition #holistichealth #LeannessLifestylePlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode "A.I. News: Open Letter To Pause, Existential Risks to Humanity, Its Supporters & Deniers (S5, E8)," I discuss the recent Open Letter to Pause Giant AI Experiments recently composed by the Future of Life Institute, and present the arguments for taking the risk analysis more seriously. With signers of the letter including Elon Musk, Emad Mostaque, Steve Wozniak, Max Tegmark, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin, I share some of their positions including some recent articles, podcasts and videos discussing the dilemma.#deeplearning #AIrevolution #humanextinction #generativeAI #blackbox #don'tlookup #LivBoeree #Danielschmachtenberger #tristanharris #azaraskin #maxtegmark #eliezeryudkowsky #centerforhumanetechnology #lexfridman #Moloch #machinelearning #AGIReferences:Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letterhttps://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/The A.I. Dilemma - March 9, 2023 by Center for Humane Technologyhttps://youtu.be/xoVJKj8lcNQMeditations On Moloch By Scott Alexanderhttps://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/Misalignment, AI & Moloch | Daniel Schmachtenberger and Liv Boeree https://youtu.be/KCSsKV5F4xcPausing AI Developments Isn't Enough. We Need to Shut it All Downhttps://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/Live: Eliezer Yudkowsky - Is Artificial General Intelligence too Dangerous to Build?https://www.youtube.com/live/3_YX6AgxxYw?feature=shareThe 'Don't Look Up' Thinking That Could Doom Us With AIhttps://time.com/6273743/thinking-that-could-doom-us-with-ai/Max Tegmark: The Case for Halting AI Development | Lex Fridman Podcast #371https://youtu.be/VcVfceTsD0APlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "An Interview with Author Rob Wipond on His Book, 'Your Consent Is Not Required: The Rise in Psychiatric Detentions, Forced Treatment, and Abusive Guardianships'" (S5, E7), I have the chance to explore my most esteemed topics of psychiatric coercion and forced treatment with one of the major players right now in the field, journalist Rob Wipond. Rob Wipond is a freelance journalist and creative nonfiction writer who writes frequently at the interfaces between psychiatry, civil rights, community issues, policing, surveillance and privacy, and social change. His articles have been nominated for seventeen magazine and journalism awards, and he's the author of the book Your Consent is Not Required: The Rise in Psychiatric Detentions, Forced Treatment, and Abusive Guardianships (BenBella, 2023).His insightful book brings to light the broad increase in people being psychiatrically incarcerated,  particularly in the US, Canada, and UK. But why are so many detained and what were the treatment outcomes? The data is limited, but Rob manages to do extensive research in his book compiling the available data in a comprehensive analysis of what is really going on in the mental health system. His research has shown how the numbers stack up-- that we have many more beds in mental health facilities than ever before (despite the overriding assumption to the contrary), and that more and more people are being incarcerated for a widening array of reasons: fromwhistleblowers and political dissidents, creatives and out of the box thinkers, disruptive children in class, elderly people suffering dementia, and workplace mental health cases. What Rob has found is that most people do not improve after these treatments, but rather deteriorate further. Victims of the system become regularly institutionalized or “revolving door mental patients,” and as medicalization, manipulative coercion and forced drugging become the gold standard, our society accepts the status quo of social control, easy fix solutions, and defining things as mental health problems instead of looking at social constructs such as affordable housing and peer-support respites. And once a person is labeled a mental patient, very little they say is taken seriously.As people are losing hope in the system, the mental health industry becomes even more aggressive as they continue to try to rope people in, but Rob gives a voice to the voiceless through the power of his incredible research and his understanding of human suffering. Rob encourages people after entering a non-ordinary mental state to examine their own mental distress and find their own path to self-understanding. Rob openly tackles this controversial topic with character and strength, and his support and compassion regarding those harmed is courageous and empowering to all those who feel betrayed by the system.To learn more about Rob, visit his website at: https://robwipond.com/Or follow him on:Twitter: @robwipondFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobWipondAuthorYouTube: @RobWipond/featuredYour Consent Is Not Required (BenBella, 2023) is now available wherever books are sold in hardcover, ePub, Kindle, and audiobook.#mentalillness #mentalhealth #chemicalimbalancetheory #psychiatricincarceration #BigPharma #involuntaryhospitalization #forcedtreatment #wildfloweralliance #suicidehotlinesPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "The A.I. Future is NOW: Job Loss, Adaptation, Immersion, & Reorganizing Human Society (S5, E6)," I share how the AI Future is upon us and there is no stopping it. I cover a spectrum of material from Vernor Vinge's essay "Technological Singularity" to the inaccuracies of Chat GPT 4, to machine learning failing to identify depression based on neurobiology. As lead researcher Nils R. Winter stated, "The fact that we cannot find meaningful (univariate or multivariate) neurobiological differences on the level of the individual for one of the most prevalent mental disorders should give us pause.” I also review some of the hot podcasts right now reviewing AI advancements with the most prominent people in the field, and refer to what the new power systems may look like in a new AI-centric society. As our dependence increases on Generative AI, a lack of critical thinking may grow out of our laziness as addictive behaviors may increase to getting our dopamine fixes. Even totalitarian structures may rise up, while we create a world of the future where less people can pursue their ideal lives. Having been thrown into this timeline as a "natural" willing to champion human purism, as everyone in tech embraces AI without question, I call out to the rest of the people, who will not be transitioning in this transhuman era, to answer the following question: What do we want our society to look like as we brace for the AI impact? References:The AI in Business Podcast:  "Generative AI and Future Rewards Systems" Series https://open.spotify.com/show/4gD9xiYU9iC24vnjUx1PTg?si=f2cc61da1cea479cInterview on the Lex Fridman Podcast with CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman: https://youtu.be/L_Guz73e6fwArticle: "Machine Learning Fails to Identify Depression Based on Neurobiology" by Peter Simons -March 13, 2023: https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/03/machine-learning-fails-to-identify-depression-based-on-neurobiology/#machinelearning #GenerativeAI #singularity #depression #neuroscience #samaltman #lexfridman #madinamerica #mentalillness #OpenAI #ChatGPTPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Normalizing the Conversation on Mental Health with Kateryn Ferreira, host of Geminme Podcast (S5, E5)," Kateryn joins the show with the message that the power is within each one of us. She gives advice on how to become our best selves, and delivers her encouraging point of view with good sense and a compassionate edge.  Having overcome personal lived experience with mental distress, she believes that mental wellness is maintained through a process we work on everyday. She believes that through awareness and being intentional, we can receive clarity in our lives as we allow our personal traumas to fuel our purpose in life. With the belief that we don't have to do it alone, she shares that perhaps believing in something bigger than ourselves holds part of the answer. Kateryn opens with sharing her own personal story, how intergenerational trauma in her Latino family affected her, and having growing up in a single-mom household, she felt isolated and prematurely independent. As a first-generation Dominican American born and raised in Washington Heights, Kateryn has always carried a spirit of perseverance within her, and led by her desire to overcome challenges, she has been able to reach her goals and accomplish several incredible challenges at a young age. We discussed empowering and freeing strategic ideas such as letting go of guilt, surrendering and letting God, and not taking things personally. Over the years, Kateryn  has found strength in mentors like Anthony Robbins, Joel Osteen, Les Brown and Eric Thomas, and now she empowers others as well. Kateryn's Bio:Kateryn Ferreira is the CEO of Geminme, offering services as a life coach and creating communities to empower women to become the best version of themselves. She also serves as director of an international  youth group called Jovenes Empower, which is focused on helping young people to grow and take control of their future. With experience working in public health, she had the chance to work as a community supervisor on the front lines of Covid 19 in New York City. Kateryn earned a BS in Health Administration from the City University of New York (CUNY) and a Master's in Public Health, also from CUNY. Kateryn is also the host of Geminme The Podcast, to promote mental health, self-development and growth. She is also the co-author of Today's Inspire Young Latina Vol. 2 and Hispanic Star Rising: The New Face of Power Vol 1.To learn more about Kateryn go to:https://linktr.ee/geminmeOr check out her website at: https://www.geminme.com/Or follow her on social media at:IG: @kateryn_ferreira or @geminme_lifecoachLinkedIn: @katerynferreiraYouTube: @geminmeempowers#letgoletGod #mentalhealth #mentalillness #anxiety #depression #Geminme #mentaldistress #thepowerwithin #intergenerationaltraumaPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Tapering Off Antipsychotics: Avoiding Withdrawal, Practicing Self-Care(S5, E4)," I share my journey I started 2 years ago when I decided to officially remove psychiatry from my life and get off their forced meds for good. Most psychiatrists have no interest in helping a bipolar get off their meds, so I went out on my own, assembled a support group around me, did the research, and invested in my healing. Now after putting my goal front and center for the last 2 years, I have committed to a long and slow taper from Seroquel and Lamictal, and luckily, I've suffered no withdrawal symptoms yet. So check in to see if any of my advice can help anyone taking on the process. Those mentioned in this podcast:Dr. Mark Horowitzhttps://markhorowitz.orgDr. Lynn Parodneck, MDMedical Marijuana Practictionerhttps://www.drlynnparodneck.comRobin Queen, psychosocial spiritual counselorhttps://slowmedicine.org/about-robinWarren Falcon, dream therapisthttps://falconwarren.blogspot.comChaya Grossberg, holistic healerhttps://chayagrossberg.comLyle Murphywww.alternativetomeds.com#psychmedswithdrawal #bipolardisorder #antipsychotics #bigpharma #forceddrugging #chayagrossberg #mania #depression #psychiatryisnotscience #markhorowitz #medicalmarijuanaPlease visit my website at: http://www.notascrazyasyouthink.com/​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode "A.I. Art & Its Implications Part 2: A Chat with NYC Artist G. Romero On the Coming Disruption (S5, E3)," I had the pleasure of interviewing NYC Brooklyn artist G. Romero about all coming changes regarding A.I. --especially the A.I. art revolution and the possible ensuing human art renaissance. After reviewing what these A.I. generative art systems are accomplishing, we take a deeper look at the role of the artist in society, and what we as artists are being called upon to currently do in the face of being the first industry disrupted by A.I.'s mighty takeover. Artists have traditionally throughout time in all societies been the free thinkers and have defined what art is. Can we still hold onto that role? Bio:G.Romero is an indigenous multidisciplinary creator, educator, underground curator and storyteller. His work ranges from painting, illustration, comix, motion, performance, installation and sound. Central to his work are figuration, storytelling and narrative.Check out his website at: www.gromerooo.comInsta: @graphik.magik @cesar2morro#aiart #humansoverrobots #openai #generativeai #startrek #DaveMcKean #renaissance #conceptart #stabilityai #Stablediffusion #dalle2 #midjourneyThe following GoFundMe campaign by the Concept Art Association Artist Protection is referred to in the show--consider donating to the fundraiser: https://gofund.me/2df3dc07Read about the class action here: https://stablediffusionlitigation.com/Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

A.I. Art & Its Implications Part 1: Lost Narratives, the Time Element & Process (S5, E2)With the explosive popularity and beauty of the newest AI art entering the scene under Stable Diffusion, I decided to share the A.I. controversy so that others can join in the conversation. I talk about my own personal experience to making art and what it means to me. After attending a Native American Historical Landscape exhibition this weekend in the infamous Woodstock, NY, I realize that in the name of progress, we will be leaving the creative class behind as we move forward in the A.I. movement. The following are videos I refer to: The War between Artists and AI:@KnowsBestNeverhttps://youtu.be/S9zhDY6bf_oInterviews with Emad Mostaque, CEO, Stability AI:https://youtu.be/jgTv2W0mUP0https://youtu.be/YaRdZ7d6o2Yhttps://youtu.be/aNYPCQBqnTYAI Art - Biggest advance, or the greatest theft that artists will ever see?:@Basement Picassohttps://youtu.be/uuTlcApanHYThe End of Art: An Argument Against Image AIs@StevenZapataArthttps://youtu.be/tjSxFAGP9Ss#aiart #humansoverrobots #openai #generativeai #evanpritchard #algonquin #micmac #zapata #Emadmostaque #stabilityai #Stablediffusion #dalle2 #midjourney Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Psychosis Outside the Box & Chapter 7: Back in New York"-- A Reading from My Memoir" (S5, E1), in opening up about my own first episode psychosis, I start with a description of the project "Psychosis Outside the Box" under the authors Shannon Pagdon and Nev Jones, which can be reviewed here: https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20220488. I point to how other traditions worldwide approach states of "psychosis" differently, with more respect and community support. I refer to an article written by Mad in America writer and counselor Jonathan Keyes which can be read here: https://www.madinamerica.com/2014/02/traditional-healing-psychosis/I then read Chapter 7 of my Memoir, Not As Crazy As You Think.The following is a book description of Chapter 7  "Back in New York":The airline attendants act as my nurse team as I lay sick for hours into the 24-hour plane ride. My exhausted body then suddenly falls limp, and I enter a blissful dimension that bestows to me wisdom into the meaning of the entire universe. The angelic whispers assure me I am “coming home,” but that I must go back.  And when I return with a thump to my body, miraculously, my illness has vanished.On my first night back in New York, my angels are still within reach, and they lead me to a disturbing mistake in the matrix code on cable television, which they call the Hitler Glitch. They tell me I must prove with my one life everything, and that I must eliminate the Dead White Man Virus. When my parents become worried about my preoccupied state of mind, they admit me to St. Vincent's Hospital, a mental institution in Harrison, NY. #psychosis #mentalillness #mentalhealth #hearingvoices #timetravel #wormholes #distortionofspacetime #wakefuldreamstate #neardeathexperience #spiritualemergency #psychosisoutsidethebox #madinamerica #indigenousknowledge #spiritualentities #shamanismTo listen to the chapters you missed, here are the podcast links to Chapters 1-6 of Not As Crazy As You Think:How Psychiatric Labeling Leads to "The St. Patty's Day Lockdown": Reading of Chapter 1 from My Memoir (S1, E5)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/6987607Traveling in 1994, and a Reading of Chapter 2: "The Scientific Library" (S1, E6):https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/7069720A Reading From My Memoir: Chapter 3, "The Brahman Class" (S2, E5):https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/8115654A Reading From My Memoir: Chapter 4, "The Taj Mahal" (S2, E7):https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/8204867The Imperialist Global Mental Health Movement and A Reading of Chapter 5: "A Sentence to Bear" (S2, E10):https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/8339023A Reading From My Memoir: Chapter 6, "Mahander" (S2, E23):https://www.buzzsprout.com/1462411/9164026Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Review of PBS's Mysteries of Mental Illness & a Second Anniversary Recap," I recall much of what led me to doing Not As Crazy As You Think Podcast and share my current status in my tapering journey from psych meds. I also review the 4-part 2021 series broadcasted by PBS titled, "Mysteries of Mental Illness." Offering a summary of each episode, I also give my point of view through the eyes of a psychiatric survivor.#endthestigma #fakeDSM #psychmedsharm #mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychiatricsurvivor #prescribedharm #chemicalimbalance #psychiatryisnotscience #neuroscience #brainwash #psychmedstapering #PBS ##MentalHealthPBSDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "The Untold Perspective: Writer Lynn Rogoff Discusses Bird Woman, Her Audio Drama Creation On Sacajawea (S4, E16)," Lynn joins the show to share her latest project. Lynn Rogoff works as a writer, director, producer, and an Adjunct Professor at the NY Institute of Technology. She is currently producing a shape-shifting Bird Woman®, audio drama multi-episode series based on the Lewis and Clark Native American guide, Sacajawea. Bird Woman®, a magical realism drama, discovers her supernatural shape-shifting powers as part woman and part eagle fighting alongside the expeditioners. In 2019, Rogoff's company wrote and produced Bird Woman, with the intent of telling the story left untold to many who had accepted the white man's narrative as true—that Sacajawea died of a sickness at 22. But the Shoshone people recorded her dying at 96 in 1884, living through the smallpox epidemic, where most of her tribe died. With the podcast, Bird Woman, Lynn sets out to tell the Shoshone story and asks: Which version do you believe?Listen while Lynn shares about the development of the series and its unique production during lockdown in 2020, as they each recorded the audio-drama remotely in different locations around the world. Lynn also discusses how she became inspired to work on Bird Woman and what led her through her research in creating the story. Lynn also speaks about her entry into game design, sharing her Pony Express Rider Game and her latest game creation, Endanger, which is a series involving saving endangered animals and capturing the poachers. Lynn Rogoff's work spans history, social causes, and culture, and she makes a concerted effort to infuse human values into the entertainment market. #Sacajawea #birdwoman #shamanism #magicalrealism #gaming #shoshone #ponyexpressrider #nycpodcasters #firstnations #indigenousstoriesListen to Bird Woman at any podcast location, or go to: https://bit.ly/BirdWomanPodcastCheck out Lynn Rogoff's website at: https://www.amerikids.com/To follow Lynn on YouTube, go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaagTGaaxzPkOA1CPV9N-Ag LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-rogoff-a023934/Amerikids LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9400099/admin/Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AmerikidsDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Growing Collective of Critics From Mental Health Pros to Psychiatric Survivors --A Changing Story on Mental Illness(S4, E15) ," I explore how the movement is indeed growing, and the voices are getting louder. The critics of psychiatry, who represent mental health professionals, psychiatric survivors, the prescribed harm collective, and many others, are speaking out. The new story about mental illness is about reclamation and renewal. But for decades, that's not what sufferers have been told. Instead, they've been told they have a chemical imbalance and a lifelong brain disease. Psychiatry's power is that of claiming authority that their treatment is the only one to “correct” and manage these symptoms. But thanks to many people coming forth to echo our concerns, an alternative perspective can be revealed. In 2020, an estimated 14.2 million adults in US dealt with serious mental illness. But isn't demanding there is only one way to heal, perpetuating the stigma? Oftentimes, patients who seek treatment aren't encouraged to do anything but listen to the doctor about their label and taking the meds. Relying on a medical interpretation, many psych survivors have their free agency regarding medication and hospitalizations taken away. We are told that if we don't agree with the doctor, we have lack of insight, which can be enough to provoke involuntary hospitalization. Meanwhile, people who claim they have healed themselves without drugs are shunned by the ones who embrace the meds and the label. But it's a growing truth for many, and we won't be quieted.  With statistical studies claiming that mental illnesses can be detectable years before they begin, making weak connections to causality analyzing everything from low birthweight to whether you ever visited a child clinical service, neuroscience is showing that we can in fact heal. It seems that taking the time to pay attention to it can alone be the remedy. With mental illness continually on the rise, can we finally empower people to believe that healing is possible? #endthestigma #fakeDSM #psychmedsharm #mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychiatricsurvivor #prescribedharm #chemicalimbalance #psychiatryisnotscience #neuroscience #brainwash #psychmedstaperingDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "AlphaGo the Movie, Big Data, and AI Psychiatry: Will Humans Be Left Behind? (S4, E14)," I give a review of the film AlphaGo, an award-winning documentary that filled me with wonder and forgiveness towards the artificial intelligence movement in general. SPOILER ALERT: the episode contains spoilers, as would any news article on the topic as it was major world news and was a game-changer for artificial intelligence. DeepMind has a fundamental desire to understand intelligence. These AI creatives believe if they can crack the ancient game Go, then they've done something special. And if they could get their AlphaGo computer to beat Lee Sedol, the legendary historic 18-world champion player acknowledged as the greatest Go player of the last decade, then they can change history. The movie is suspenseful, and a noble match between human and machine, making you cheer on the new AI era we are entering and mourn the loss of humanity's previous reign all at once. And with how far AI has come, is big data the only path to achieve the best outcomes? Especially in regard to human healthcare? And what about the non-objective field of psychiatry? When so many mental health professionals and former consumers of the industry are criticizing psychiatry's ethics, scientific claims, and objective status as a real medical field, why are we rushing into using AI in areas that deal with human emotion in healthcare? Because that is where we have a large amount of data.  With bias in AI already showing itself in race and gender, the mad may be the next ready targets. #DeepMind #AlphaGo #DemisHassabis #LeeSedol #FanHui #AIHealthcare #westernpsychiatry #moviereview #psychiatryisnotscience #artificialintelligence #bigdata #globalAIsummit #GPT3 #madrights #healthsovereignty #bigpharma#mentalillness #suicide #mentalhealth #electronicmedicalrecordsDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Recovery from Schizophrenia with Tracey Higgins, Author of 'The Girl On the Bridge' (S4, E13)," Tracey shares her personal story of healing without psych meds from her bout with schizophrenia. Her story offers hope to those who suffer from the most troubling form of madness for both patients and psychiatrists, one that is often treated with disrespect and disdain. Psychiatry believes there is no recovery for schizophrenics or bipolars, but Tracey's road to recovery proves this is a false narrative. By looking through a trauma lens, schizophrenia can be witnessed in its early onset of the acute phase, as a state of terror, which makes people suffer a loss of identity and disintegration of the self. Tracey assures there is meaning in the world of voices and hallucinations. They provide markers to help people analyze their trauma, offering clues to unpack, which can help set a new path. The stories of schizophrenics and bipolars largely go unheard, as psychiatrists don't listen to the language a patient may use to find meaning in his delusions. Tracey's unique story gives people hope and inspires courage in one's own ability to heal. Full recovery is possible from schizophrenia, Tracey asserts, and medication does not need to be part of the treatment.Follow Tracey on Twitter @TraceyHiggins92Checkout her website: https://t.co/sNyMJF1KZiBuy her book:UK https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B09CKYP4FWUS https://amazon.com/dp/B09CKYP4FWCA https://amazon.ca/dp/B09CKYP4FW#traumainformedapproach #schizophrenia #westernpsychiatry #alternativehealing #mentalillness #mentalhealth #sexualabuseDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Getting Real with Jessica Schiller Silverman, Podcaster & Spiritual Wellness Expert: On Trauma, Self-Love, and Purpose (S4, E12)," Jessica opens up about her work in consulting, her personal path of mental health, and the state of the Western medical approach to mental illness. Jessica Schiller Silverman is a spiritual wellness expert to help heal past trauma + inner child wounds. Through a trauma-informed approach, she enables women to come ALIVE in her creative passion without sacrificing money, time, or energy. Jessica stepped away from a six-figure career in venture capital in San Francisco to start her own venture, all inspired initially from a podcast, and now is the host of the A.L.I.V.E. podcast with Jessica Silverman. Jessica also runs her Live Vibrant program and steers women in a sisterhood to access their true selves and discover what's deep inside their souls.In the show, Jessica explores the landscape behind all forms of trauma, including collective and ancestral, and how working through these issues are part of the the beginning steps to finding purpose through the pain.   During the interview, Jessica shares self-care strategies and self-love rituals, as well as offers astute advice for those who are trying to find a better path to healing  but find it difficult to even get out of bed. Jessica honors getting to the root cause of mental distress rather than  throwing away the individual through the treatment of getting labeled and medicated through traditional psychiatry and shares her own special purpose in helping others on this healing journey.Follow her at:Facebook: A.L.I.V.E. with Jessica Silverman: Bit.ly/mozenwarriorsInstagram: @Mozen_WellnessFree gift: Bit.ly/ikigaimagicWebsite: https://www.mozenwellness.com/#traumainformedapproach #depression #anxiety #westernpsychiatry #alternativehealing #ikigai #spiritualwellness #podcasting #mentalillness #mentalhealth #mozenwellnessDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Opening Up About Process and Pain with Sculptural Artist and Mental Health Advocate, Kellie Gillespie (S4, E11)" sculptural artist and mental health advocate Kellie Gillespie is interested in deepening the conversations within and between art and mental health. Kellie holds an MFA from Rinehart School of Sculpture at Maryland Institute College of Art, and her work focuses on issues specifically associated with mental health, as well as the concepts of recovery and survivorship. Kellie specializes in the use of everyday found and forgotten objects, often unappreciated, and strives to show their hidden value. In this way, her artwork aims to portray: “the potential in that which is broken, the value in the castaway, and the importance in the forgotten.”Kellie wishes to break the negative connotations surrounding the subject of mental illness allowing those who have suffered to insert their own stories in the art and make their own related connection. Kellie discusses the intensive preparation and physically demanding fabrication of the work and how that lends to its final result, as she embraces the tedious, repetitive production of a piece. Crediting art with saving her life, she shares about her own journey through her battles with mental distress and recovery. In the interview, Kellie reviews a few of her powerful pieces that explore the controversial landscape of eating disorders, self-harm, alcoholism, anxiety and depression.To view Kellie Gillespie's work, visit her website at: www.kelliegillespie.comOr follow her on: Instagram: @kellie.gillespie.art and Facebook: @kelliegillespieart#mentalhealthawareness #sculpture #installationart #sculptureinstallation #foundobject #prescriptionbottles #discardedbysociety #recycled #upcycle  #installation #multiplicity #mentalhealthart #foundobjectart #artofvisuals #infinityroom #immersiveartDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "How to Heal Through Nutrition, Mindfulness and Lifestyle with Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Emilie Jordao (S4, E10)," Emilie joins the show to share her own personal wellness journey through natural means. After struggling for 15 years with psychiatric symptoms, before learning how inflammation plays a role in these conditions, she  reclaimed her life, and now offers nutrition and yoga based tools for holistic mental health.As psychiatry told Emilie she would need her meds forever due to a chemical imbalance, Emilie battled anti-depressant dependency for 7 years. After having difficulty getting off them, she discovered the slow approach.  Emilie followed a different course of treatment in areas of an anti-inflammatory diet and an altered lifestyle, and is now passionate about helping people heal their lives with diet, mindfulness, and lifestyle. Her focus centers on helping  those with anxiety and depression heal naturally. Emilie holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Central Michigan University and is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). She's also in the process of acquiring her Yoga Teacher certification through the Bhodi Yoga Center. Emilie offers a variety of essential information on health tips, explaining how mood conditions are often whole body conditions. Emilie reviews some root causes of sleep problems and offers supplements to consider, as well as how to stay supported on the tapering journey. Emilie offers a Psych Meds Taper Online Support Group, one-on-one health coaching, and a Yoga Series for Anxiety and Depression. To learn more, follow Emilie on IG: @health.with.emilie, or go to her website at: https://www.healthwithemilie.com/#psychmeds #psychmedtaper #psychiatricmedication #medicationtapering #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietysupport #depression #depressionhelp #ssriwithdrawal  #lexaprowithdrawal #benzo #benzowithdrawal  #benzotaper #ssritaper #integrativepsychiatry #antidepressants #antidepressantwithdrawal #antidepressantsideeffects #holisticmentalhealth #discontinuationsyndrome Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

 In the episode, "Natural Medicine: Holistic Healer Michelle Williams Shares a Journey of Alternative Healing (S4 E9)," women's holistic healer, Michelle Williams opens up about her personal path towards mental health wellness.  After being on psych meds for 10 years, Michelle found an alternative route for her struggles through studying and practicing different food philosophies, including intuitive eating and veganism, and for the past 6 years has promoted the macrobiotic lifestyle. After suffering from an eating disorder and seeing how the psychiatric institution dismissed her concerns around the psych meds' side effects, she felt compelled to research alternative modalities of natural healing in everything from energy medicine to healing through food. Michelle is also the podcast host and creator of "MacroMagic With Michelle," where she helps her listeners achieve greater personal freedom, health, happiness and peace through her MACRObiotic perspective. She teaches cooking classes online and in-person, gives lifestyle consultations and meal plans, provides crystal and palm energy healing in the pursuit of helping sensitive women achieve ultimate health and happiness through the power of nature. Michelle questions the Western concept of treating the disease through removing pain through meds, and proves that healing is a personal journey and can be achieved by anyone if you believe it is possible. #alternativemedicine #naturalhealing #energymedicine #psychmedsharm #psychiatricsurvivor #macromagicwithmichelle #veganism #psychiatryisnotscienceFollow Michelle on IG @the_freedom_fairywebsite: https://thefreedomfairy.com/YouTube: @The Freedom FairyDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "The Provocative Vision of Artist Andy Golub: His Process and Message in a Literal World (S4, E8)," New York City artist Andy Golub, bodypainter, and founder of the non-profit foundation Human Connection Arts, shares his artistic process and how his art has developed. Starting out as an artist looking to make his mark, Andy eventually discovered bodypainting and took it to a higher level, bringing hundreds of people together at once through efforts  like his Bodypainting Days across the country and internationally.His non-profit, Human Connection Arts, encapsulates Andy's message--spreading love of art through human connection. In holding many "art happenings" throughout New York City from his Protest of Divisiveness to Chalk Art Day to his latest venture in Naked Theater, for years, Andy has  created his art with the drive to start an authentic conversation. In following both inspiration and frustration into creating art, he allows both his heart and head to lead him to continue expressing himself into new realms. #humanconnectionarts #arthappenings #artevents #artisticprocess #mentalhealth #bipolarpersonality #artisticpersonality #bodypaintingday #nakedtheater #bodypositivity #bodypainterIf you are interested in applying for Bodypainting Day,  go to: https://humanconnectionarts.org/2022-nycbd/To follow Andy and his work, go to:https://humanconnectionarts.org/ or www.andygolub.comIG: @connectionarts; @andy.golubFB: #humanconnectionarts; @andy.golub.artistDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Discussion on Mental Distress in the Family: Life and Fitness Model David Pumo Opens Up (S4, E7)," David, who is also a lawyer and writer, shares his personal family background and reveals a history of mental distress, or what the psychiatric establishment calls "mental illness." In opening up about his lineage as far back as his great uncle's suicide and his grandmother's nervous breakdowns, which resulted in multiple ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) procedures, David shares a personal relationship with what many of us go through--mental distress in the family. But are these genetic certainties? Or is this commonly found in many families?David goes on to share how an extreme depression of his younger brother, John, led to his suicide, which was difficult for his family, but in a moment of dire crisis, his parents turned their energy towards a positive momentum. In his memory, David's parents dedicated years of their lives after John's suicide to changing the landscape of gay rights through their involvement in PFLAG, or the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc.David's mother also experienced being prescribed psych meds by her GP in her late years, which possibly led to her body's decline within only months after taking them.  The question remains: why put an elderly person on a psych med when they are already so weak and might have trouble processing it? David Pumo is honest, raw, and tells his story with a sense of humor and acceptance reminding each of us how compassion might be the best medicine for "mental illness" in the family.#genetics #suicide #mentalillness #mentalhealth #fitness #psychmeds #ECTharms #depression #PFLAG #gayrights #To see some work of my bodypainting on David, check out:(Warning: mature content)https://youtu.be/eq9VKdBujiQhttps://youtu.be/CJVJm_6rpkoFollow David at:Twitter and Insta: @DavidJerome629and YouTube: @DavidPumoDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

Patty Lennon is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and founder of The Receiving School®.She is a former type-A corporate banker that discovered there was more to living than making money. She left banking to help others do the same.She is a certified coach with a masters in psychology and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Daily Worth. She blends brain science and metaphysics to help her fellow humans find clarity, focus, and inspiration so they can easily manifest their dreams into reality.Website: www.PattyLennon.com

In the episode, "An Interview with Psychologist Dr. Roger McFillin, host of Radically Genuine Podcast, on Psych Meds, Drug Trials, Resilience & Recovery (S4, E4)," Licensed Psychologist Dr. Roger K. McFillin, who is the Executive Director of the Center for Integrated Behavioral Health in Bethlehem PA, joins the show. Also host of the podcast “Radically Genuine”, Roger is strongly committed to the use of evidence-based treatments and specializes in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the treatment of post-traumatic stress, eating disorders & mood/anxiety related concerns.McFillin is extremely vocal about the fact that psych meds do not improve long-term outcomes and openly challenges the scientific basis to support their efficacy. He reveals how contrived the drug trials are explaining what data is actually published. Conducted by the pharmaceutical industry, these studies test efficacy for up to only 8 weeks, while patients are often prescribed them for life. In contrast he offers ample insight as to what proper mental health treatment looks like. With his belief in resilience and recovery, his message is that healing is possible in a variety of ways and that the human spirit has imbedded in it the potential to rise above obstacles in life. Criticizing the overriding reductionist materialist view in today's Western medicine, Dr. Roger McFillin shares how many of these historical cultural norms and narratives no longer serve us in our modern age. Although he has experienced some backlash in the mental health field for his openly critical assertions, particularly on his active Twitter platform (@DrMcFillin), Dr. McFillin is opening the conversation for those in the prescribed harm community and the psychiatric survivor movement, as he invites the ethical and open-minded players in the mental health professional arena to debate the problems openly on his Radically Genuine Podcast to discuss new change for the better. #prescribedharm #radicallygenuinepodcast #bigpharmaharms #ethicalscience #mentalhealth #therapy #mentalillness #westernpsychiatry #evidencebasedtreatment #psychiatricsurvivor #resilience #recovery #bipolarartist #PTSD #depression #anxiety #DSMlabels #mentalhealthpodcast #materialism #biomedicalmodel #humanexperience Follow Dr. Roger McFillin on:Twitter: @DrMcFillinIG and TikTok: @radgenpodEmail thoughts and questions to: radgenpod@gmail.comCheck out his website at: https://www.centerforibh.com/Listen to his Radically Genuine Podcast at any podcast locationDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In March 2022, the DSM, or Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was updated to include revisions to 70 labels, including Prolonged Grief Disorder. I review the criteria for such a disorder, revealing that among the 8 distinguishing symptoms are a list of extremely understandable and relatable feelings that people experience when dealing with bereavement and loss of a loved one, especially that of a child or spouse. But the psychiatric institution has declared that if it takes you over a year for these feelings to persist, you are pathologically mentally ill. As mental health professionals join alongside the grievers to protest this new insertion into the heinous DSM bible, as a society we need to rethink what meaning we give pain and have the courage to rise above the politics of big pharma.#biomedicalmodel #westernpsychiatry #bigpharmaharms #mentalhealth #psychiatryisnotscience #abolishpsychiatry #healthsovereignty #materialismDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "In the Wake of Uvalde: Stopping Gun Violence Is Not a Mental Health Issue But a Moral One (S4, E2)" I review the mass gun shooting incident in Uvalde, Texas that occurred on May 24, 2022 and tackle the question: is more gun control needed or mental health reform? While mental health reform is always needed, when Republican lawmakers state it's a mental health issue, they are speaking of punishment before a crime to those already getting help over dealing with the core problem: looking at not why the shooter did it, but how. Instead of stigmatizing the mentally ill, looking at the facts at how easy access to guns in our nation has contributed to  gun violence in America is key in creating a solution to the problem, if that's what we care about as a nation. When 80-89% of the American population, including gun-owners, agree that common sense laws can make a difference, by kowtowing to the NRA, people in Washington are not representing the majority of Americans where safety is concerned. Compiled research suggests that our assumptions that it's all about mental illness are grossly inaccurate and that violence is not always predictable. But what is predictable is that the more guns that are available with easy access, the more likelihood a person can make a deadly mistake reacting to an emotionally-charged rage with a destructive weapon.  Study citation:Jonathan M. Metzl, Kenneth T. MacLeish, “Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of American Firearms”, American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 2 (February 1, 2015): pp. 240-249. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302242YouTube video of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's press conference taken from American Federation of Teachers' channel: "Gun Violence Prevention Press Conference":https://youtu.be/iME0Z1jSMUM#mentalillness #uvalde #gunviolence #commonsensegunlaws #redflaglaws #mentalhealth #bipolarartist #safety #massshootingsDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "An Update with Emma Hames on Cassette Monkeys and Her Message of Prescribed Harm (S4, E1)," Emma returns to offer an update on her journey with sharing her story of prescribed harm into the metaverse and beyond. Artist, songwriter, musician, and filmmaker, Emma currently lives in the UK, where the problems with psychiatric harm is equal to that of the US. In 2012 she was prescribed Bromazepam abroad after going a year with undiagnosed asthma and reduced lung capacity, which led to anxiety, following doctors' orders as prescribed for 4 years, and without knowing the risks she cold-turkey-ed the drug which caused Protracted Benzodiazepine Withdrawal. She decided to challenge herself with writing the soundtrack for the film as part of her recovery, and explore the role of creativity in healing. Emma shares in this episode how her NFT collection, Cassette Monkeys, is growing a community of online creatives and angels looking to support the message behind her film. On her personal road to recovery, she is creating connections within Web3 technology, a highly immersive virtual world where people gather to socialize, play, and work all around the concept of "Creativity is the new medicine." In her efforts to promote health sovereignty, informed consent and creative therapy healing, she has gathered talented creatives and allies behind her vision, as she continues to find the strength to move forward and share the hard truth about a difficult story to tell.  Check out Emma's website at: https://www.emmahames.com/ or follow her on Twitter: @emjadehames or IG: @emjadehames.Follow the film at: https://www.thesoundtrackfilm.com/.#biomedicalmodel #westernpsychiatry #bigpharmaharms #mentalhealth #psychiatryisnotscience #abolishpsychiatry #cassettemonkeys #healthsovereigntyDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode "Covid Nation & Beyond Art Show at Sun River Health Foundation (S3, E16)", I wrap up Season 3 by first sharing why I've been absent from podcasting for a month, telling of some successes and changes in my life, and then I share the talk I gave at my latest art show at Sun River Health Foundation in Peekskill, NY. The following is my artist statement for my exhibit "Covid Nation & Beyond:"I've always been a painter, but for over the last decade I centered my work on my face and bodypainting, making my main art medium bodypaint, which is actually colored makeup.  Because the very therapeutic nature of how I created art brought me in close contact with people, when the Covid-19 crisis hit, this avenue of expression was annihilated due to social distancing. At the time, I was profoundly saddened by my loss, and I felt as though I was losing a special identity that I worked so hard at creating. But my art still needed to be expressed and the nation's story recorded. I needed to switch gears and apply paint to something other than skin. So I rekindled my interest in painting on 2D surfaces, and since I had plenty of bodypaint hanging around,  I started the series with gessoing some sign boards I had used for my face painting tent and slapped on the bodypaint. The medium is beautifully fluid and helps me keep my painterly and illustrative style sharp and drawing-like, very unlike acrylic paint. The result is a liquid makeup paint, which dries like sturdy pastel chalk. This art exhibit titled “Covid Nation & Beyond” is a pop-art, heavily textured and stylized commentary about our world during the Covid pandemic covering various subjects inspired by 2020-2021, such as NY's death numbers on the rise in April and May, the nation's inability to work during lockdown, the mental health concerns related to quarantining and social distancing, the tension of opposites politically in response to the public health crisis, the PPE shortage, the airline industry bailout, and the attempted insurrection on the US Capitol, and the legalization of marijuana in NY.#bipolarartist #manic #depression  #covidnation #lockdown #quarantine2020 #ageofcovid #covidart #notascrazyasyouthink  #mentalillness #mentalhealth #storytelling #PPE #insurrection2021 #frontlineworkersDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Manifesting Your Desires & Creating Flow in Your Life with Mr. D (S3, E15)", I invite back my former Social Studies grammar school teacher, Don DiBenedetto, or Mr. D, to share his anecdotes and enthusiasm for how to create flow in your life through learning how to manifest. Now a teacher of spirituality, Mr. D shows us through a variety of techniques how we all can co-create with the universe to bring into our lives our greatest wishes and dreams. #bipolarartist #manic #depression  #joyfulness #changefromwithin #wordsofwisdom #notascrazyasyouthink #psychiatryisnotscience #mentalillness #mentalhealth #manifestingchange #creatingflowDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "Are Psychopaths Favored by Natural Selection? Definitions of Mental Illness and the Roots of Suffering (S3, E14)," a team of Canadian researchers explored the possibility that psychopathy lacks certain hallmarks of a mental disorder, and thus may be more of an adaptation associated with fitness. The study was published in Evolutionary Psychology at the end of 2021, entitled Is Psychopathy a Mental Disorder or an Adaptation? Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Psychopathy and Handedness. Psychopathy is a condition characterized by callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy. Psychopaths can be highly manipulative, and their antisocial nature inclines them often to criminality, while their traits can be delineated in the clinical label of  antisocial personality disorder. But if being a psychopath isn't mentally ill, what is?  How is a mental disorder different from an  “adaptive life history perspective” ? No agreed on and adequate analysis of the concept of a "mental disorder" currently exists. It is often seen as harmful dysfunction, where dysfunction refers to the failure of an internal mechanism to perform a function for which it has been designed through natural selection to perform, while “harmful” refers to the consequences of this mechanism's failure that are deemed undesirable by social and cultural standards. Under this conceptualization, a syndrome of cognition and behavior would have to satisfy both criteria—that it is dysfunctional and harmful— to qualify as a mental disorder. Yet although the causes of mental disorders are not fully understood, the factor this study looked at narrowly was  neurodevelopmental perturbations, which have been linked to other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. According to the study, nonright-handedness is a sign of such perturbations. So the goal of the study is to show a positive association between psychopathy and nonright-handedness, which would support the mental disorder model, whereas a negative association would support the adaptive life history model. The study was statistically weak, and isolating such specific variables in metanalysis is difficult to do. But in the search for the answers, the negative correlation with nonright-handedness reflects outdated science from the early days of criminal psychology. And if a psychopath's callous and perhaps violent tendencies are simply part of evolution, who is definitively mentally ill? Can't we say that of many "disorders" in the DSM?Essentially, over the course of 3 decades, there has been no major progress in finding out biological causes that can help in treatment. But if instead of looking at things as pathology, can't we utilize ideas of functional medicine? Lifestyle choices  can affect our biology such as diet and exercise. Dr Rani Bora and Dr Suraj Gogoi are both holistic psychiatrists and innate health coaches, who don't subscribe to temporary fixes to address the human condition. They disregard the core underlying causes of psychological suffering and feel that the conventional models of managing mental and emotional issues do not help us discover our true wellbeing. Visit Drs. Rani and Suraj at: https://www.drsranisuraj.com/#functionalmedicine #mentalillness #wellbeing #mentalhealth #lefthandedness #criminal psychology #DSMLabels #evolutionarypsychology #naturalselection #bipolardisorderDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at:  www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Heart-to-Heart with Actress Susie K. Taylor:  Creating a Kinder Story Out of the Madness (S3, E13)," Miami-based actor, creator, teacher, performance artist, and mentor, Susie K. Taylor joins the show and shares stories of her career in acting, producing and teaching. She also talks about her SURF method, a compassionate program to help actors get out of character. Susie sheds light on how traditional techniques of getting into character for the actor, can often lead to “psychological concussions” and compound traumas, as actors often access pain from their pasts to create their roles. But in using Susie's techniques, other versions of truth stories that are kinder and less ego-based can help creatives detach from their pain and come through the other end of this process.By retelling the past repeatedly with the same ending, Susie explains how the body stores past pains and injuries even when they are over, until we reset the story and release the charge. Susie puts forth the idea that in healing these personal areas of super-charged emotion, we can then more effectively heal the world through new art and stories. These techniques can also be used for anyone who wants to experience a release of past super-charged emotion, and bring healing into one's life from past traumas. Bio:Susie holds a Post Graduate degree in Classical Acting and a BA in Theater. She attended New World High School for the Performing Arts and has been performing for over 30 years.  Her passion is to find kinder and more efficient ways of doing things. This led her to inventing The Ultimate baby bib, Bibbitec, which appeared on Shark Tank and her  De-Roling  method called SURF, which stands for Story Understand Recast and Flow. Her one-woman show Jewbana was just accepted in the NYC United Solo Festival.  Website: www.Susiektaylor.com Insta:   Susie_k_Taylor Twitter:  Jewbana305#mentalhealth #goals #honored #UCME #creatives #surfacting #femalegaze #jewbana #bibbitec #surfacting #process #method #mentalhealth #alternative #sharktank #nedragallegos #markburnett #meta  #art #healer #visionary #grace #ptsd #traumainformedtherapy #movementtherapyDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

 In the episode, “A Discussion On Psychosis, Lived Experience, and Creativity with Artist John F. Gerrard, Author of "We Make Clocks, Not Time" (S3, E12), John opens the conversation about this largely misunderstood headspace by sharing his personal story and what he learned coming out on the other side of psychosis. We discuss John's book, We Make Clocks, Not Time: My Lived Experience with Psychosis, Creativity, and the Ideas That Have Helped Me, opening up the conversation on an array of philosophical questions regarding psychosis and mental illness, from self-determination and free will, to the romanticization of the tortured artist, to the essential self, to the language of labels, to rethinking God.With the message that there is no shame in psychosis, that lived experience matters, and that creativity can be an integral part of our mental health, John also discusses some strategies that have worked for him in his own recovery.  Describing psychosis as connecting to something larger than life, John harnesses elusive topics like what is the nature of delusion, the mystery of dreams, and the subtle differences found in psychotic experiences compared to those that are spiritual in nature.  John brings philosophy into the conversation about extreme mental states and stresses that just because something is not commonly experienced among the norm, doesn't make it pathological.Bio:John is a multidisciplinary artist, with a focus on visual art. In his teens and 20s he was active creatively as a musician, touring across North America and playing locally. He also did graphic design work for bands and small businesses. John was trained by the Canadian Mental Health Association as a peer support worker. Since then, he's been developing his art practice with mental health advocacy work.  He has also worked with Branch Out Neurological Foundation, making images based on interactions with neuroscientists, and taking part in their charity events for three years now. In 2019 he had my first international show in Chicago as a part of the Some People Everybody exhibition. This multidisciplinary project examines the ethics, people, processes, and systems that constitute the maintenance of, and barriers to, health for human beings. You can follow John on:Insta: @john_f_gerrard Twitter: @clocksnottime or on his website at: https://www.johnfgerrard.com/ Buy the Book, We Make Clocks, Not Time: My Lived Experience with Psychosis, Creativity, and the Ideas That Have Helped Me:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1778050107https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778050107#depression #mentalhospitals #mentalhealth #psychosis #dsmlabels #mentalillness #philosophyofpsychiatry #creativity #wemakeclocksnottime #peersupportDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Point of View from a Man in Blue with Jeff Gironda: Crisis Intervention Training and a Broken Mental Healthcare System (S3, E11),"  former New York City police officer, Jeff Gironda, who worked 10 years of patrol in Midtown and has experience as a detective specialist, shares his insight on the broken mental healthcare system, as well as present and future actions towards change within training for the police department.   Jeff became an instructor at the Police Academy for training recruits in an EDP workshop (emotionally disturbed people) in concert with John Jay, and then went on to lead a 4-day immersive course in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), which incorporates scenario-based training with clinicians, the NYPD, and professional actors.  Emphasizing a much more humanizing approach, the CIT program went national and is still helping today's police properly interact with those in emotionally disturbed states. Jeff also shares how this positive growth within the police department can be an example to how other institutions can promote a more compassionate perspective when dealing with people in states of mental distress, especially the medical establishments who claim expertise in this area. #PTSD #mentalillness #CIT #crisisinterventiontraining #NYPD #anxiety #depression #mentalhospitals #mentalhealth Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsiciliano

In the episode, "A Chat with Emma Hames and Rev Heather Elizabeth on Benzo Withdrawal and Recovery in the Film 'Playing with Life: The Soundtrack' (S3, E10)," Emma and Heather share how they both were affected by the same benzodiazepine psychiatric drug prescriptions, and both turned to sound healing, nature and creativity to rebuild their lives. The two formed a strong bond and came together to co-produce the film “Playing with Life: The Soundtrack.” In tandem with the film, they are producing an NFT collection called Cassette Monkeys in order to create community and funding for the production.In America alone, 120 million people are currently on the class of medication known as benzodiazepines, which is highlighted in the film, along with how holistic healing can be achieved without drugs and with better alternatives. As the Western biomedical paradigm regarding mental illnesses is a global problem, Emma and Heather believe in supporting health sovereignty while we prepare for change. Bios:Emma Hames is an artist, songwriter, musician, and filmmaker currently living in the UK. At University she studied Environmental Science, later taught English and Art in a Cambodian orphanage, studied climate change in Malaysian rainforests, and even lived on her own 23' sailing boat for a year, which connected her to the natural world and gave her the freedom to explore her creativity. She later went onto Tour as a saxophonist and musician in several bands throughout Europe. In 2012 she was prescribed Bromazepam abroad after going a year with undiagnosed asthma and reduced lung capacity, which led to anxiety, following doctors' orders as prescribed for 4 years, and without knowing the risks she cold-turkey-ed the drug which caused Protracted Benzodiazepine Withdrawal. She decided to challenge herself with writing the soundtrack for the film as part of her recovery, and explore the role of creativity in healing. Check out Emma's website at: https://www.emmahames.com/ or follow her on Twitter: @emjadehames or IG: @emjadehames. Rev Heather Elizabeth is an artist, healer, and savant, and considers herself an interdimensional woman of faith. She was diagnosed with several psychiatric disorders as a teen while dealing with anorexia nervosa and childhood sexual trauma, and was prescribed the highest doses of pharmaceutical meds well into her 20s. She is still micro tapering off diazepam after well over 5 years of dedicated tapering. She devotes her professional pursuits to mental health and overall wellness through the use of functional wellness and health coaching, using breathwork and nature as a main modality of transformative healing. She also believes the use of psychedelics--specifically magic mushrooms--can help in a transformative and therapeutic way towards more compassionate healing. She is currently writing her second book related to her own mental health journey. Follow Heather on Twitter: @RevHeatherEli or IG: @revheatherelizabeth.  And follow the film at: https://www.thesoundtrackfilm.com/.#biomedicalmodel #westernpsychiatry #bigpharmaharms #mentalhealth #psychiatryisnotscience #abolishpsychiatry #cassettemonkeys #healthsovereigntyDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @jengaitaLinkedIn: @jensicilianoTwitter: @jsiciliano

In the episode, "The MAD Twitter Showdown Regarding the #ChemicalImbalance Theory: A Pharmaceutical Lie Upheld By Psychiatry" (S3, E9) I share all the fuss taking place on the Twitter feeds of the psychiatric survivor movement--from patients and therapists alike--within and around this myth and what it means for today's consumers and prescribers, yesterday's psych survivors, and the future of the disease-based model of psychiatry.#chemicalimbalance #neurotransmitter #evidencebasedpsychiatry #psychiatricsurvivor #Petergotzsche #Prozac #ArthurSackler #PatrickRaddenKeefe #Valium #librium #JimFolk #lexapro #paxil #zoloft #effexor #Joannemontcrieff #PeterBreggin #GaryGreenberg #mentalillness #JamesDavies #AwaisAftab #PhilHickey #clinpsychlucy #AshleyBobak #MadinAmerica #MadinUK #psychrecovery #AnneCooke14 #MedicatingNormal #TraumaInformed  #biomedicalmodel #westernpsychiatry #bigpharmaharms #mentalhealth #psychiatryisnotscience #abolishpsychiatryDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @jengaitaLinkedIn: @jensicilianoTwitter: @jsiciliano

In the episode, "The Cannabis Update with Dr. Lynn Parodneck: Moving Forward in Making MJ Medicine Mainstream (S3, E8)," Dr. Lynn returns with more medical information and further anecdotes. With her experience in helping others taper off opioids and psych meds, Lynn believes there's another way regarding harm reduction. But hospitals aren't honoring medical marijuana as legitimate for medication and will still only push opioids for pain management. Lynn talks about the ethics in allowing patients to choose their own treatments; however, with MJ still federally scheduled as a class 1 substance- meaning, there is no efficacy in using the substance for medicinal purposes- we are still only in the beginning of a new movement in normalizing cannabis treatment. But with minimal research, patients have little support as doctors are waiting for lab testing to know the truth of cannabis' safety profile. Nevertheless, with a dying capitalist view of big pharma business controlling supply and demand of medicines, the counterculture's choice of treatment is steadily moving forward. Visit Dr. Lynn Parodneck's website at: https://www.drlynnparodneck.com/#bipolarartist #psychiatryisnotscience #psychmedswithdrawal #marijuanalegalization #depression #anxiety #PTSD #opioidcrisis #healingPlease visit my website at: http://www.jengaitasiciliano.com​Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @jengaita LinkedIn: @jensicilianoTwitter: @jsiciliano

In the episode, “Straight Talk on Big Pharma, Psychiatry, & the Film ‘Medicating Normal' with Angie Peacock (S3, E7),”  former U.S. Army Sergeant and subject of the film, “Medicating Normal," Angela Peacock, MSW, was diagnosed with PTSD after one deployment to Iraq in 2003 and was overmedicated for it for over a decade and a half. She is a mental health advocate, writer, and YouTube creator who travels in her campervan across the United States with her service dog Raider in an effort to improve the mental health care system for veterans and civilians alike. Angie's a major player on the film's outreach team, facilitating more than 180 post-screening panel discussions with communities worldwide with audiences that include both consumers and mental health professionals alike. Angie's story proves how broken the system is, in which patients, families and doctors are all victims, but Angie also bravely brings to light the unbalanced approach to healing psychiatry takes—namely, through outdated theories in the biomedical model. But psychiatrists' stubborn adherence to the psychopharmacological treatments they were taught in med school is what perpetuates the problem. Angie discusses how instead of blaming the individual, normalizing emotions and looking at faulty systems is needed instead, and she shares alternative narratives on mental health that are developing. Angie feels the best way to change the system, though, is through finding real deep healing through your own magic potion—figuring out what's uniquely right for you.#MedicatingNormal #TraumaInformed  #biomedicalmodel #westernpsychiatry #bigpharmaharms #mentalhealth #psychiatryisnotscience #abolishpsychiatry Visit the film's website: https://medicatingnormal.com/ And Angie can be found on social media @BeingHumanRV and on the Medicating Normal YouTube channel. To watch 'Medicating Normal' visit: www.medicatingnormal.com/watchMedicating Normal  Synopsis: Millions of people worldwide are physically dependent not on illicit drugs, but on commonly prescribed psychiatric medications. Medicating Normal follows the stories of a newly married couple, a female combat veteran, a waitress and a teenager who are harmed by the very medications they believed would help them.  Medicating Normal unveils a corrupted evidence base and a mental health paradigm in which uninformed patients are too often overdiagnosed and overmedicated. It is the untold story of the disastrous consequences that can occur when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress. This story is rarely reported in the mainstream, and it is an epidemic of harm done.Awards:Best Documentary - People's Film FestivalAudience Award - People's Film FestivalBest Documentary Jury Award - Woods Hole Film FestivalBest of the Fest - Woods Hole Film FestivalVirtual Audience Award - The Magnolia Independent Film FestivalImpact Award - Whistleblower Summit & Film FestivalDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @jengaitaLinkedIn: @jensicilianoTwitter: @jsiciliano