Living With Schizophrenia | Embracing Creativity In Psychosis w/ Rachel Star Withers Artwork

Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! | A Mental Health Podcast On Lived Experiences & Dark Humor

If you live with mental illness—or love someone who does—and you’re tired of sugar-coated wellness talk, this show is for you.

Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! blends dark humor with real recovery so you feel seen, steadied, and a little lighter. We tell it like it is, so you don't have to.

You’ll get:

Lived-experience truth from “The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective” (host) + grounded insight from "IndyPocket" (co-host and music therapist).
Edgy, stigma-smashing and often, controversial conversations about life with mental illness mixed with social commentary, relationships and messy real-world coping as it relates to mental health.
Some challenging takeaways you can ponder after each episode—along with laughs that punch up, down, left, right... EVERYWHERE.

Perfect for: people juggling therapy, meds, and everyday chaos who want honest talk, gallows humor, zero judgment and acceptance for who they are.

Guests include survivors, clinicians and everything in between... Any human being who is willing to share their story with our listeners.

Content notes are provided when necessary.

We (the hosts) are NOT providing professional mental health services. We are simply sharing our lived experiences and our perspectives on these topics while offering support to this community.

If you are in the U.S. and you need help, call or text 988 (24/7) and seek professional psychiatric care immediately.

All Episodes

Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! | A Mental Health Podcast On Lived Experiences & Dark Humor

Living With Schizophrenia | Embracing Creativity In Psychosis w/ Rachel Star Withers

July 07, 2025 • Nicholas Wichman - Mental Health Advocate • Season 1 • Episode 19

How living with schizophrenia and creativity emerging from psychosis intersect—plus suicidal ideation, stigma, and finding meaning through your passions.

A raw, candid conversation with creator/advocate Rachel Star Withers on telling your truth online without glamorizing pain, and navigating relationships and employment while symptomatic.

Content note: explicit language; discussion of psychosis and suicide.

If you’re struggling (U.S.): Call/Text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

Episode focus: the challenges of living with schizophrenia; how creativity and our passions can prevail through psychosis; the emotional toll of stigma; supportive resources; and sharing honestly without selling the suffering.

We cover:

Schizophrenia day-to-day—what life actually looks like
Suicidal ideation and the background noise of risk
The emotional toll of stigma (and how to push back)
Relationships & employment while symptomatic
Supportive resources that help (and how to use them)
Expressing truth online without glamorizing pain
Prioritizing creativity to build a fulfilling life
Comedy as a coping mechanism—and its limits

Hosts/Guest: The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective (Nick) • Guest: Rachel Star Withers

Guest links:

• Website: https://www.rachelstarlive.com/

• Podcast: Inside Schizophrenia (all major streaming platforms)

• Movie: #Shockfight (2022) — streaming on Tubi

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelstarlive

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelstarlive

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@rachelstarlive

Draft a 15-second “truth clip or post” about your REAL experiences (as detailed as you want). Share your story on our Discord "The Struggle Bus" and we’ll help you feel right at home. (link below)

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Send us an email at beatthementalhealthoutofit@gmail.com

We’re a candid mental health podcast with lived experience—schizoaffective disorder, trauma recovery, coping skills, and dark humor that fights stigma!

Join Our Discord — “The Struggle Bus” - https://discord.gg/emFXKuWKNA

HOST / SOCIALS

The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective (Nick)