Expressing Your Schizophrenia Journey
From Inside Schizophrenia by Healthline Media
February 18, 2026 · 49 min
About this episode
This episode explores practical ways to express the schizophrenia journey through various forms of expression, featuring insights from Rachel Star Withers and guest Susan Wojnar.
Living with schizophrenia is traumatic — full stop. Hallucinations, delusions, hospitalizations, lost relationships, and stigma can fracture how you see yourself and the world. But how do you process all of that without being labeled dangerous, unstable, or misunderstood? In this episode of “Inside Schizophrenia,” Rachel Star Withers (who lives with schizophrenia) and cohost Gabe Howard explore practical, safe ways to express your schizophrenia journey — without needing to be an artist, writer, or performer. From journaling (even if you hate it) to movement, storytelling, and simple word exercises, they break down how expression can support emotional regulation, restore personal agency, and help organize traumatic experiences. Listeners will learn: why you don’t need artistic talent to benefit from expressive outlets how storytelling helps organize traumatic memories into something manageable what caregivers and loved ones should know about encouraging safe expression Later, Rachel is joined by singer, songwriter, and poet Susan Wojnar, who shares her powerful lived experience with late-onset schizophrenia and how creativity both challenged and supported her recovery. Susan…
People in this episode
Hosts: Rachel Star Withers, Gabe Howard
Guest: Susan Wojnar
Topics covered
- schizophrenia
- emotional regulation
- creative expression
- storytelling
- mental health
- trauma processing
Keywords
- schizophrenia
- expression
- mental health
- storytelling
- trauma
- creativity
- emotional support
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: White Darkness: Poetic Tales of the Schizophrenic Experience
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- What Do I Say? Communication Strategies for Schizophrenia · March 18, 2026 · 51 min
- Bonus: A Personal Interview with Our Host Who Lives with Schizophrenia · March 10, 2026 · 28 min
- Redefining Recovery in Schizophrenia · January 21, 2026 · 47 min
- Inside Your First Psych Evaluation for Schizophrenia · December 17, 2025 · 39 min
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