Hello all! I'm very grateful to Ashley Smith for the chance to interview her about schizophrenia, her experience with the mental healthcare system and support networks, as well as what it is like to be a parent with schizophrenia! We also discuss her books and writing (Ashley has published seven books, runs the blog Overcoming Schizophrenia, and has served as a state Board Member for NAMI Georgia among many other things!). Here are some links to learn more about Ashley or see her books: Author Page: amazon.com/author/smithashley Blog: inherownink.blogspot.com Facebook.com/inherownink Linkedin.com/in/inherownink Publishing Company Website: www.inherownink.com Blog: http://overcomingschizophrenia.blogspot.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - 1:27: How Ashley received a diagnosis of schizophrenia 1:28 - 3:20: Navigating disclosure of schizophrenia and misconceptions 3:21 - 4:48: Experiences with the mental healthcare system 4:49 - 9:00: Advice for families members in supporting a loved one 9:01 - 10:52: Reaching a good place 10:53 -13:32 : What has your experience been with parenting? 13:33 - 16:08: Joy after challenges 16:09 - 19:07: Writing and books As part of our standard disclaimer, we would like to note that this video is not meant to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health. #schizoaffective #schizophrenia #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodivergent #interview #depression

Hello all! I’m so grateful to Tara (a psychiatrist, researcher, and neurodiversity ally) for taking the time to share her insight and experience. She shared a bit about her own experiences with social communication, sensory processing, and routines as a non-autistic (allistic) person as well as how she became involved in autism research and neurodiversity advocacy (and what she appreciates about the autistic community!). We also discuss several topics related to autism and psychosis, such as research on the overlap between the two and the high level of stigma around psychosis. As part of our standard disclaimer, we would like to note that this video is not meant to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health. Timestamps: 00:00 - 6:20: How would you describe your neurotype? 6:21 - 8:04: Difference between strong hobbies and autistic special interests 8:05 - 12:58: How has your impression of autism evolved over time? 12:59 - 17:53: What do you most appreciate about the autistic community? 17:54 - 21:24: Thoughts on psychosis and neurodiversity 21:25 - 24:24: Distinguishing between autism, psychosis, or both 24:25 - 29:08: Does trauma tend to shape the type of hallucinations or delusions one experiences? 29:09 - 32:37: What resources on neurodiversity do you wish existed? 32:38 - 34:51: Closing #autism #neurodiversity #psychosis #neurotypical #schizophrenia #autistic #neurodivergence #mentalhealth #psychiatry

Hello all! This is a little bit of a different video-- Morénike and I discuss autistic men! In particular, the video discusses different challenges that autistic men may be more likely to experience (e.g. being incorrectly perceived as dangerous, having experiences with anxiety or social isolation dismissed, etc.); cases where autistic traits in autistic men may be mistaken (incorrectly) for misogyny; and -- on the other hand-- cases where actual misogyny may be overlooked because it is accidentally attributed to autism. We also discuss resources that we wish existed for autistic men and other assorted topics, such as sensory friendly men's clothing. Link to a related video on "edge cases" related to neurodiversity ("When neurodivergence is used to excuse harmful behaviours"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS7EyMDzRXI   Timestamps: 00:00 - 5:05: Are there challenges that autistic men are more likely to face? 5:06 - 17:08: Are autistic traits sometimes misunderstood as misogyny? 17:09 - 23:47: Are there times where actual misogyny goes underlooked because it’s attributed to autism? 23:48 - 26:00: (Preview for a future topic– does “anti-man” sentiment exist?) 26:01 - 30:32: Resources for autistic men 30:32 - 35:00: Autistic women and nonbinary individuals 35:01 - 36:58: Sensory friendly men’s clothing #autistic #autism #autisticmen #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #actuallyautistic

Hello! I’m so grateful to Anthony for sharing his experiences with schizoaffective disorder and his insight and thoughtful approach on so many different topics. We wanted to add a content note for mentions of self-harm, trauma, and substance dependency in this video. We also just wanted to add (and we are hoping to add this as a standard disclaimer to our videos going forwards as well!) that All Neurotypes isn’t able to offer medical advice or endorse any particular policy or position– instead, we hope that our videos can be educational and share the experiences of people with lived experiences (and hopefully decrease the stigma regarding neurodivergence and mental health.) Anthony shared vivid experiences with delusions, discussed experiences with trauma and healing from trauma, as well as his experience with Cobenfy. He also discussed working in peer support and what his advice would be for clinicians working with people who have schizoaffective disorder. Anthony also provided insight onto the challenges of living with disability benefits and the bureacracy that can often accompany navigating disability benefits, as well as many more topics. #schizoaffective #psychosis #trauma #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #interview 1:20 - 5:00: Mental health diagnoses, role of trauma 5:01 - 14:45: First symptoms/traits of schizoaffective disorder 14:46 - 16:47: Vivid example of a delusion 16:48 - 18:12: Were you able to receive your SZA diagnosis quickly? 18:13 - 23:54: Advice for younger self on trusting people 23:55 - 26:19: Peer support and the importance of a personal connection 26:20 - 31:47: Isolation and common themes among people with SZA 31:48 - 39:23: Advice for peer support specialists/importance of honesty 39:24 - 40:22: Experiential empathy 40:23 - 53:00: Personal experience with Cobenfy 53:01 - 57:50: Mental health resources you’d like to see 57:51 - 1:03:20: The human connection in mental health support 1:03:21 - 1:04:20: Advice to people supporting a friend or a loved one 1:04:21 - 1:11:02: Personal experience with disability benefits 1:11:02 - 1:13:20: Finding joy in poetry 1:13:21 - 1:18:50: Advice to people with SZA who struggle with comparison

Thank you very much to Jenny Mai Phan (https://www.jennymaiphan.com/) for sharing her time and experiences about autistic masking and late diagnosis as well as her work and research on autism and puberty. This interview also discusses several other topics, such as autistic joy, parenting, representation of Asian American autistic individuals, daughter of immigrant parents, growing up in poverty and financial accessibility, and more. Timestamps: 00:00 - 6:05: Growing up in a poor background/financial accessibility 6:06 - 11:45: Impact of socioeconomic status in ability to mask/unmask autistic traits 11:46 - 16:45: What changes would you like to see in the neurodiversity movement? 16:46 - 23:01: What advice do you have for mental healthcare providers? 23:02 - 27:17: What was it like to realize you were autistic 27:11 - 30:32: If you could time travel and give your younger self information, what would it be? 30:33 - 38:59: Research on autism and puberty 39:00 - 44:42: Autistic joy, parenting, and autistic Asian American representation Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee. #autism #autisticresearcher #autisticmasking #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #interview #neurodivergence #masking #latediagnosis

Hello! This interview with Schizoid Angst (https://www.youtube.com/@SchizoidAngst/videos, discord.gg/YfG5dTYVMR) provides an in-depth look at schizoid personality and how it relates to a need for autonomy. He discusses common themes he’s observed from interacting with so many people with schizoid personality, misconceptions about schizoid personality, and how he thinks schizoid personality develops. We also discuss his perceptions of praise and criticism, ideal (vs. non-ideal) social interactions, missing people, existential questions and internal world, and finally advice related to parenting with schizoid personality. Timestamps: 00:00-3:20: Two theories of schizoid personality 3:21 -6:31 : Experiences with praise and criticism 6:32 - 9:22: How do you typically feel during social interactions? 9:23 - 14:40: Enjoyable vs. uncomfortable parts of social interactions? 14:41 - 24:45: Existential questions and internal world 24:46 - 29:20: Advice for people without schizoid personality 29:21 - 34:00: Did you always have schizoid traits or did they develop? 34:01 -36:44: Misanthropic time period 36:45-41:30 : Schizoid personality and parenting 41:31 - 46:48: Common themes/overlooked traits of Schizoid Personality 46:49- 52:00: Missing people and schizoid personality 52:01 - 55:50: How to tell if someone with schizoid personality is ghosting you or just needs space? 55:51 - 59:31: Angst’s Discord and Youtube Channel Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee. #neurodivergence #schizoid #neurodivergent #adhd #mentalhealth #existential #interview

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to interview Tiffany about her life and experiences with hallucinations and delusions (starting from a very early age.) Tiffany provided some incredible and vivid descriptions of what life with schizophrenia is like, what it is like to be undiagnosed for a long time period (and how an existing diagnosis of schizophrenia can make accessing other diagnoses more complicated), experiences with major episodes of psychosis, as well as the positive aspects of having schizophrenia (including one fantastic vision of a supportive pink platypus.) Timestamps: 00:00 - 5:08: First experiences with delusions and hallucinations 5:09 - 6:55: How the initial delusions/hallucinations felt 6:56 - 10:50: What it’s like to be undiagnosed 10:51 - 13:47: What it was like to receive a diagnosis 13:48 - 16:50: How a schizophrenia/schizoaffective diagnosis can make other diagnoses more challenging 16:51 - 22:30: Experiences with four major episodes (common themes) 22:31 - 25:30: Differences between episodes 25:31 - 28:40: What it’s like to have delusions as a main trait/symptom 28:41 - 32:40: Experience with work and accommodations 32:41 - 33:18: Accommodations in an ideal world 33:19 - 34:49: What would you tell your younger self if you could time travel 34:50 - 37:00: Positives and closing thoughts Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and neurodivergence. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee. #schizoaffective #schizophrenia #neurodiversity #mentalhealth #neurodivergence #interview

Hello! It was wonderful to have a chance to learn from S about schizotypal personality-- one theme throughout S's story is a deep sense of being different or "Anderssein". S also provides an in-depth overview of experiences with different traits of schizotypal personality, a tendency towards fantastic/paranormal things and conspiracy theories, as well as experiences in social interactions and elsewhere. S also discusses paranoia in schizotypal personality. Timestamps: 00:00-1:07: Intro 1:08- 2:00: How would you define StPD? 2:01 - 3:35: Earliest traits/experiences of StPD 3:36 - 4:25: Experience with being diagnosed 4:26 - 6:40: How do you think your StPD developed? 6:41 - 8:20: Do you feel like you've had StPD your whole life? 8:21 - 9:13: Challenges with StPD 9:14 - 9:46: Did you have hallucinations, delusions, or psychosis? 9:47 - 10:40: Experiences with paranoia 10:41 - 11:43: Ideas of reference/constricted affect 11:44 - 12:26: Eccentric appearance 12:27 - 14:20: Misunderstandings about StPD 14:21 - 14:50: Do your emotions shift quickly or slowly? 14:51 - 15:31: Current traits/behaviours related to StPD 15:31 - 16:40: Final message #schizotypal #paranoia #hallucinations #mentalhealth #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #neurodivergent

Hello! I'm very grateful to Morénike for sharing so genuinely about her experiences as an autistic person with MCI (mild cognitive impairment). This video discusses her experiences growing up autistic (and the nuances of accessing diagnosis and growing up in an immigrant household), as well as what it is like to realize one has MCI and/or a neurodegenerative condition and how inaccessible the world can be to people with neurodegenerative conditions (especially those who are also autistic!). We don't want to stigmatize any form of condition or disability, but also realise that for many people acquired disabilities such as neurodegenerative conditions can be a challenge to adjust to or come with a sense of loss-- especially in a world that is often unsupportive-- and so we hope our video may be helpful for anyone going through something similar. Morénike's portion of the video was originally created for an autism/Alzheimer’s & related conditions symposium. #neurodegenerative #autism #autistic #disability #mci #alzheimers #neurodiversity #neurodivergence

Hello all! I was thrilled to be able to interview Kai on schizotypal personality (StPD) and discuss several traits and experiences related to StPD. We go through several different traits such as hyperreflexivity, paranoia, reality checking, unusual perceptions, and more and also discuss traits that may be less frequently discussed or that are outside the typical DSM criteria for schizotypal personality (e.g. avolition). We also discuss the positives and challenges of life with schizotypal personality as well as what makes Kai an individual amongst people who are schizotypal. Kai also has a Youtube channel (the Schizotypal Project)! Here’s the link for it: https://www.youtube.com/@SchizotypalProject/videos 0:00-1:50: Earliest signs of schizotypal personality 1:51 - 4:07: Hyperreflexivity 4:08-5:14: Paranoia 5:15-5:50: Reality checking 5:50 - 7:32: Saviour complex/delusions of grandiosity 7:33 - 9:43: Connected thinking 9:44 - 11:26: Disordered speech and unconventional/eccentric dressing 11:27 - 13:11: Atypical affect and ideas of reference 13:12 - 14:51: Hearing voices/unusual perceptions 14:52 - 16:39: Special topics (things outside the typical DSM traits) 16:40 - 17:45: Attempts to find self-understanding prior to diagnosis 17:46 - 19:08: Experience with friends or classmates growing up 19:09 - 20:19: How were you diagnosed with schizotypal personality? 20:20 - 22:02: Advice for mental health providers in working with people who have StPD 22:03 - 23:13: Enjoyable/positive aspects of having StPD 23:14 -24:20 : Challenging parts of having StPD 24:21 - 25:37: What makes you unique/an individual among people with StPD? 25:38 - 26:47: Closing thoughts #schizotypal #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #mentalhealth #interview #psychology #hyperreflexivity #paranoia #connectedthinking #realitychecking

Hello all! It was wonderful to meet Taylor earlier to discuss life with schizoaffective disorder. I’m grateful to him for sharing such honest insights into what schizoaffective disorder (SZA) is like, how substance use may influence the development of psychosis in people who have a predisposition to psychosis, a glimpse into his internal world with SZA (e.g. what hallucinations and delusions feel like and how they can change depending on the situation), experiences with the healthcare system and medication, positives that have come from having SZA, and the value that people with SZA bring to the world/appreciating the way that people with SZA think outside the box. Taylor also discusses how music, hiking, and fishing have been therapeutic experiences for him. Timestamps: 00:00 - 1:29: What do you most wish people understood about SZA? 1:30 - 6:22: How did SZA develop for you? What traits/symptoms do you currently have? 6:23 - 7:55: Experience with misdiagnosis 7:56 - 10:44: Most challenging part of having SZA 10:45 - 11:54: Positives/personal growth from having SZA 11:55 - 13:44: Experiences with the mental healthcare system 13:45 - 16:07: How music and hiking have been therapeutic 16:08 - 18:14: Advice to friends/family of people with SZA 18:15 - 20:44: Closing thoughts Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It aims to reduce stigma and promote understanding about mental health conditions and substance use. The views expressed in this video are those of the interviewee. #schizoaffective #mentalhealth #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #interview #schizophrenia #hallucinations #delusions #bipolar

Hello all! If you are a neurodivergent person who would like to be interviewed (in February this year or onwards!) we'd love to hear from you at hello@allneurotypes.com . Sometimes our email goes to spam, so if you haven't heard back from us in a week or so, we might be in your spam folder!

Hello all! I was very grateful for the chance to interview Ace earlier today, who is a teenager with schizotypal personality (STPD)! We discuss the overlap between autism, OCD, and STPD, how having STPD has influenced his experiences with school and work, and both the joyful and challenging aspects of SPTD. 00:00 -3:08: Earliest signs of schizotypal personality 3:08 - 8:48: How did you realize you have STPD? 8:48 - 12:48: STPD and experiences in school 12:48 - 15:38: STPD and experiences with work 15:38 - 18:08: Advice for clinicians who want to work with people with STPD 18:08 - 20:58: What do you find the most joy in? 20:58 - 25:38: What is the most challenging part of having STPD 25:38 - 28:00: Strong sense of self #schizotypal #mentalhealth #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #interview #ocd #magicalthinking #wellbeing

Hello! I was very grateful for the opportunity to interview Robert Simms earlier this week on neurodivergence and people pleasing as well as neurodiversity-affirming healthcare and culturally safe therapy for Indigenous neurodivergent individuals. Robert also discusses different types of boundaries and general guidance for developing boundaries. Robert's website is: www.embodiedresilience.ca and his socials can all be found at https://linktr.ee/embodiedresilience Timestamps: 00:00- 1:40: Signs that a neurodivergent individual is struggling with people pleasing 1:41 - 3:33: Trauma in growing up neurodivergent and how this leads to people pleasing 3:34- 6:34: Indigenous neurodivergent individuals and pressure to people please 6:35 - 9:02: Advice/suggestions for developing boundaries 9:03 - 11:33: Robert's journey to becoming a mental health professional 11:34 - 13:20: Advice to clinicians working with autistic patients or patients with ADHD 13:21 - 15:37: Creating cultural safety when working with Indigenous individuals in therapy 15:38 - 17:44: Broader shifts in the neurodiversity movement 17:45 - 18:17: Final thoughts #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #peoplepleasing #mentalhealth #therapy #culturallysafetherapy

Hello! I'm very excited to share this interview with A about schizotypal personality-- thank you to A for sharing your times, experiences, and insights with me! We discuss schizotypal traits, the internal world in schizotypal personality (and hyperphantasia), paranoia and experiences at university, pathway to a diagnosis and experiences with psychiatric care, how schizotypal personality is perceived where A lives in Asia, parts of life and schizotypal personality that A enjoys and advice for clinicians/therapists who are working with patients with schizotypal personality. Timestamps: 0:00-1:00: Traits of schizotypal personality 1:01 - 2:15: Internal world in schizotypal personality 2:16 - 3:47: Perception of schizotypal personality where A lives in Asia 3:48 - 9:30: Earliest signs of schizotypal personality, path to a diagnosis 9:31 - 11:43: Schizotypal personality and experiences in school/work 11:44 - 12:50: What do you wish others understood? 12:51 - 13:59: Advice for clinicians/therapists 14:00 - 15:18: Schizotypal personality and friendships/relationships 15:19 - 17:10: What do you find joy in? 17:11 - 18:30: What do you find most challenging? 18:31 - 20:44: Final thoughts #schizotypal #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #mentalhealth #therapy #interview

Hello! I'm very grateful to Becca Gibson, LCSW-C, LICSW at Wired Differently Therapy (https://www.wireddifferentlytherapy.com) for sharing their time and insight on therapy for autistic individuals-- therapy, self-disclosure, and balancing therapeutic boundaries (e.g. being flexible and accessible but also ensuring therapy doesn't become overly blurry or confusing) are topics that are of particular interest to me and Becca is an incredible source of knowledge on all of these! We talk about how a "blank slate" approach with no disclosure can be confusing for autistic patients but, simultaneously, how certain types of degrees of disclosure may be distracting or confusing for the client (e.g. lead to worrying about the therapist's wellbeing). We also discuss feedback in therapy, how therapists can seek ongoing trainings, and the challenges or stigma that autistic therapists may face in the field. Timestamps: 0:00 - 4:45: Self-disclosure with autistic clients 4:46 - 10:00: How to tell if self-disclosure is helping a client? 10:01 - 17:30: How to create an environment where feedback is welcome? 17:31 - 24:30: Common challenges when receiving feedback? 24:31 - 30:45: Repairing a rupture 30:46 - 38:17: Signs a therapist might benefit from neurodiversity-affirming training 38:20 - 47:00: Advice for autistic therapists 47:01 - 51:05: Final thoughts #autism #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #therapy #therapists #interview #mentalhealth

Hello! I greatly appreciated the chance to interview Ryan on life with schizotypal personality! We discuss Ryan’s (very unique!) pathway to being diagnosed with schizotypal personality, positives and challenges of life with STPD, experiences with the mental healthcare system, and parenting with schizotypal personality. 00:00 - 1:21: What do you wish people most understood about STPD? 1:22 - 3:36: How did you realize that you have STPD? 3:50 - 6:27: Experiences with mental health providers 6:38 - 9:16: Advice for clinicians working with schizotypal personality 9:20 - 11:30: Positive aspects/traits of STPD 11:31 - 13:55: Most challenging part of STPD 13:56 - 15:23: Schizotypal personality and parenting 15:30 - 17:03: Final thoughts/lack of firsthand perspectives #neurodiversity #schizotypal #mentalhealth #interviews #mentalhealth

Hello all! This video is on a topic that I've been thinking about for awhile-- it's really a combination of two topics: 1. What would a fully accessible universe look like? How would it impact everyone, including neurotypical or non-disabled people?; and 2. What is neurotypical privilege, what are the complexities of it, and to what extent is it really a "privilege"? Additionally, I have been thinking about how things like bullying and discrimination likely hurt those who are perpetuators in addition to those who are victims. Timestamps 0:00 - 1:29: Introduction 1:30 - 6:59: Examples of privilege/advantages 7:00 - 10:24: Utilitarian reasons for including everyone 10:25 - 11:44: Inherent value of including everyone 11:45 - 12:39: Unknown unknowns 12:40 - Does bullying hurt the bully? #neurodivergent #autism #disabilityjustice #disability #privilege #socialjustice #autistic #mentalhealth #neurotypical

I was excited for the opportunity to interview my friend Stephanie Robertson about her journey navigating mental health and neurodivergence. Our conversation covered topics like misdiagnosis and ADHD, her experiences in law school, mental health and neurodivergence in the workplace, DEI, disclosing neurodivergence, and the power of authenticity. Timestamps: 00:00 - 11:20: Experience with misdiagnosis 11:21 - 18:00: What changes would you like to see in the medical system? 18:01 - 21:30: Positive aspects to being neurodivergent 21:31 - 35:45: Supporting neurodivergent individuals throughout the work cycle 35:46 - 44:40: Including neurodivergence in DEI 44:41 - 54:35: Disclosure of neurodivergence in academia 54:36 - 56:40: Other thoughts #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #ADHD #mentalhealth #disabilitypride #inclusion #authenticity

I was very grateful for the opportunity to interview Dr. Muhammad and her child about life as a neurodivergent family. They discuss neurodivergent joy, challenges and positives of being a neurodivergent family, and what it's like to navigate the school system and accommodations (as well as the need for reduced bullying). Dr. Muhammad is also the founder of the North Carolina Black Disabilities Network: https://www.nc-bdn.org/ 0:00 - 1:50: Favorite part of being a neurodivergent family 1:51 - 4:15: Different types of communication in the family 4:16 - 10:00: Challenges of being neurodivergent 10:01 - 13:10: What parts of neurodivergence bring you joy? 13:11 - 19:10: What has your school experience been like? 19:11 - 22:00: What do you appreciate about each other? 22:01 - 25:50: Creating the NC Black Disabilities Network 25:51 - 31:00: Bullying and other topics #autism #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #disability #autisticjoy #neurodivergentfamilies #neurodivergentschool #interview #bullyingawareness