Kristin Bell's Video Blog

Kicking Stigma!

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:52:52 -0800

Stigma sucks and it is unnecessary. Everyone will have their own way of dealing with it, but I think it is best just to kick it out the door! Below is my video discussing stigma from mental illness and how I handle it. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at schizhelper@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

As I Turn 35: Hope For the Next 20 Years

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:06:32 -0800

Just a little time of reflection for me as I turn 35-years-old. I think living with schizophrenia aided by treatments will make life easier and better for us all. Please check out my video and if you feel like it, you can drop me a note at schizhelper@gmail.com! Thanks for stopping by! :)

What Can We Do About Relapse to Psychosis?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:32:39 -0800

A friend of mine was wondering if I had any tips about how to recognize or otherwise deal with symptoms of relapse, so I thought I'd make these videos about that subject. With each person the situation will be different of course, but I think it is possible to notice the signs of relapse if you are looking carefully at changes in behavior, mood and thinking. I hope you enjoy the videos. There are two parts, because I ran out of time in the first part. Please feel free to email me any time at schizhelper@gmail.com! Relapse Discussion Part 1 of 2 Relapse Discussion Part 2 of 2

What's In A Name? Ph.D. M.D. PMHNP, etc.

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:18:24 -0800

For those of you who are new to the mental health field, you might be wondering about the differences between all the different sorts of doctors, therapists and nurses that you might be seeing. Here is a brief introduction to the main differences between some of the provider types. As always, feel free to email me with any questions or comments at schizhelper@gmail.com.

More On How We Find Support

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:52:56 -0800

In my last video I asked viewers to help me brainstorm ways in which people with mental illness can find support, especially when family and friends are not available. You all came up with some great options. For more information, please watch the video below. Once again, if you have any more ideas, please email me at schizhelper@gmail.com

Another Diagnostic Tool In The Works

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:19:55 -0800

The Associated Press brings us this story about researchers in Jerusalem who have developed another kind of diagnostic test that might be useful in diagnosing schizophrenia. One thing they don't discuss is its efficacy depending on if someone is or isn't currently in a psychotic state. This won't replace current diagnostic tests, but looking toward the future, there may be more precise and hi-tech ways to diagnose this illness. I say: hooray for science!

How Do We Find Support?

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:32:35 -0800

In this video I want to hear from you all about how you find support. A few people have asked me about how people with no support go about getting support and how people deal with losing support systems. I wonder about these same things and I thought maybe we could brainstorm ways of dealing with finding support systems. Let me know what you think by emailing me at schizhelper@gmail.com since the comments aren't working. I'll compile the responses and make another video about this topic. Thanks!

My Participation in the NIMH Schizophrenia Research

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:24:26 -0800

In this video I talk about my recent trip up North to Seattle where I participated in the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Research Study conducted in conjunction with the University of Washington and the VA Medical Center. Thank you to my wonderful researchers who made the entire process a joy! Here is a Link to More Research Trials Here is a Link to the Research that I Participated In

Comment Glitch

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:17:18 -0800

Hi Everybody! If you were trying to leave comments and it wasn't allowing you to or it was telling you to sign in repeatedly, I am very sorry. It was not your fault. We are having some issues with the software right now and the comments part is not working. If you would like to send me a message, feel free to email me at schizhelper@gmail.com and I will get back to you. Thanks for your patience. Hopefully we will get everything working soon. :) kristin

Real Meds Talk

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:29:37 -0800

Okay everyone, let's get real about our medications! Here I discuss my own struggles with accepting medications. I know all the reasons for NOT taking them. How about some reasons FOR taking them! For more discussion of medications check out these links: Schizophrenia Treatments Schizophrenia Biology & Genetics And, remember, you are not in this alone. There are millions of us in the world who have schizophrenia and need to take meds! We know it is a struggle!

Angel's Movie About Her Schizophrenia

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:45:19 -0800

I found another great Youtuber who has made a documentary about her life with schizophrenia and some of the reactions that people have had to her and her illness. How does your situation compare to Angel's? Please feel free to leave comments below. What do you think of Angel's documentary?

On Forgetting I Have Schizophrenia

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:35:22 -0800

In this video I talk about the weird phenomenon of forgetting that I have schizophrenia despite all of the evidence that I have it. I wonder: what is it supposed to feel like to have schizophrenia? Why do I forget sometimes?

Pets For Companionship & Therapy

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:01:41 -0800

Pets can be a great comfort for those of us with schizophrenia. I know that for me, my cats are like family members! Not only do they provide much-needed companionship, but they can also take your mind off of things that you are worrying about and even aid in alleviating anxiety. If you live in a group home, perhaps you could have a small pet like a fish or a hamster. Whatever you do, think about the responsibility that comes along with caring for a pet, but if you are able to handle taking care of another being, you will find it very rewarding! For another article about pets as therapy helpers, click the following link: Psychiatric Service Dogs Written By Kristin Bell

Discussion of Negative Symptoms

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:05:22 -0800

Hi Everyone! Kristin here! In this video I talk about those pesky negative symptoms that people don't often think so much about compared to the delusions and hallucinations of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms include poverty of speech, social isolation, lack of motivation, lack of expressive emotion, etc. Sometimes the negative symptoms are the hardest to get a handle on once the delusions and/or hallucinations are gone. Do you all have any tips for dealing with these symptoms? For a great discussion and delineation of the negative symptoms related to schizophrenia, please see the following page: Diagnosing Schizophrenia Written By Kristin Bell

Imagining Schizophrenia

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:01:07 -0800

I found this interesting and thought-provoking video called "It Self" on YouTube. It is not a literal statement in any way, but is very expressive and relays some of what it feels like to have schizophrenia (in my opinion). Be warned that this may be unsettling to some people as it is a bit odd and experimental. If you are easily triggered by scary things, you might not want to watch. While I am trying to bring you mostly positive videos in my video blogs, I think it is also helpful to show cinematic representations of schizophrenia that echo some of what it is actually like to have the disease--the uneasiness, the disruption in thought, the frightening aspects that we know all too well. So much of what is represented by the media and the larger cinematic community is just plain wrong and disrespectful of people who have the disorder, I think it is imperative that we, especially those who have gone through the experiences of the disorder, provide alternative media to try and show what the disease is actually like. I hope you enjoy this little film that I found. I thought it was very interesting and very well done. Let me know what you think! You can also email me at schizhelper@gmail.com . For other media depicting schizophrenia, check out the following link: The Media and Schizophrenia Written By Kristin Bell