Kristin Bell's Video Blog

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 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

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

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

This is a short film about a guy named Gary who became schizophrenic among the decadence and bright lights of the disco era. In this video he gives a good description of the strange associations that people with schizophrenia often make--things like thinking numbers have mystical meanings and thinking that there are bizarre, super-spiritual connections to things that most people would consider benign. It is not clear whether or not his schizophrenia was brought on by drug use and it is also not clear what happened after his onset of symptoms.

Written By Kristin Bell

To see more stories by and about other people with schizophrenia click the following link:
Schizophrenia Stories

While looking for schizophrenia-related videos, I came across this cute, if not quick, overview of the brain parts featuring the cartoon characters Pinky and the Brain. It is both educational and fun to watch and I imagine if you memorize the song while watching the video, you will have good knowledge of brain anatomy! Enjoy!

For more brain pictures, check out the following:

Brain Pictures

Written By Kristin Bell

Hi Everyone! It is me, Kristin, again!

Since some of us are people living with schizophrenia, I wanted to talk about different ways of dealing with stress in day to day life. In these first two videos I talk about the stress of "normal" living as opposed to how we live when we are fully psychotic. In the first video I discuss basic living issues that we need to keep in mind: eating, taking meds, sleeping, bathing, not doing drugs or alcohol, the kind of stuff every doctor will remind you about.

In the second video, I talk about some things that I like to do to keep my stress-free bank account high, so when something takes a hit on my happy bank account, the effects will not be to terrible or long-lasting.

Also, please feel free to share in the comments what kinds of things you like to do to help you deal with stress in your day to day life! I feel it is important for those of us living with schizophrenia to be tuned into how stress shapes our lives, because if we undergo too much stress we can often find ourselves in a bad position with more symptoms.

Please check out these links with more info. on coping with schizophrenia:

Mental and Physical Exercise Helps in Schizophrenia

Playing Soccer To Alleviate Symptoms

Intimacy: An Important Aspect of Recovery

Written By Kristin Bell

I wanted to let you all know that I recently found out about a research project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health through the site here at schizophrenia.com and I am hoping that any of you out there who might qualify for the research study will join me in being a research participant. I am going to be documenting as much of my journey through the research process as I can, so stay tuned for further videos!

In the following video I talk about the benefits of volunteering for research and a little bit about what the research will be like. My whole family is going to be involved, so I'm going to try to get them in the video, but they are very camera shy, so it will be a major accomplishment if you get to view them!

I originally made this video for my YouTube channel. Anyway, I hope you will consider joining me in this fight to find out more about schizophrenia so someday no one will have to suffer! Our participation is very important!

Mentioned in the Video:
My Blog Entry on Research Participation

Also, please check out the following related links for more opportunities to participate in research and further scientific understanding about schizophrenia:
Opportunities to Participate in Research - A List

Researchers Helping Advance Knowledge and Understanding of Schizophrenia

Written By Kristin Bell