How I cured my schizophrenia - Interview with Lauren Kennedy West

In this conversation, Lauren Kennedy West shares her journey of living with schizoaffective disorder, detailing her experiences with mental health struggles, the impact of her diagnosis, and her relationship with medications. She discusses the importance of vulnerability in sharing her story and the evolution of her YouTube channel, which aims to connect and support others facing similar challenges. Lauren also explores her transition to a ketogenic diet as a non-drug approach to managing her symptoms, reflecting on the profound changes in her life after reducing her medications. In this conversation, Lauren Kennedy West and Dr. Josef explore the complexities of mental health treatment, particularly focusing on the use of antipsychotic medications and the impact on identity. They discuss the societal perceptions of mental illness, the importance of patient empowerment, and the need for a broader understanding of recovery that goes beyond medication. The conversation also critiques the healthcare system's reliance on pharmaceuticals and the influence of pharmaceutical companies on treatment narratives. Throughout, they emphasize the emotional challenges faced by individuals navigating mental illness and the importance of community support in the recovery process. Chapters: 09:30 Acceptance of Diagnosis and Its Impact 18:50 Exploring Non-Drug Approaches 23:58 The Transition to a Ketogenic Diet 30:22 Navigating Antipsychotic Medications 37:38 The Role of Patient Empowerment 43:12 Critique of the Healthcare System 50:15 Navigating Community Reactions 58:32 Supporting Each Other in Recovery We are accepting patients into our drug tapering program living in CA, NY, TX, PA, CO, UT, TN, NM, GA, FL and NJ. Please watch the following webinar to learn more about our clinic and our drug tapering program: https://www.taperprogram.com/register-ig All my Links: https://beacons.ai/drjosef Please consider "liking" and subscribing to this content. It helps build awareness. CONTENT DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor. COMMENTS POLICY: We’re doing our best to help spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. So if you leave questions, we’ll try to make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them. WANT AN INTERVIEW? We are always looking for unique stories of people who experience adverse reactions to psych meds to interview here on YouTube and on our Podcast. If this is you, please submit an application here: https://upload.vloggi.com/projects/YXLW-001