"They Found My Medical Records" | David Harewood, Psychosis and Me | Edinburgh TV Festival

Please be aware this session involves descriptions of mental health issues and experiences of racism.
Afua Hirsch leads David Harewood in a candid conversation about his struggles with mental health and the path which led him to make the 2019 BBC documentary ‘Psychosis And Me.’
Recorded live at The Edinburgh TV Festival 2022.
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[@luceatluxvestra1]

Incredibly brave and resilient human 🙌🏻❤️

[@upendasana7857]

I was very thankful to David Harewood to make a documentary about his "psychosis"and whilst yes black people are more likely to received or expereince a diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia,or schizoaffective disorder"...I hope ti idesn't just become a "black"or race issue because I also know many many others who have been diagnosed and have backgrounds of trauma,often sexual trauma or early childhood trauma and who are diagnosed or experience this "crack in their psyche"and identity issues feeling alienated or outsiders or whatever and it needs to be seen also in this wider context too not reduced simply to a "race issue"even though black people are undoubtedly over represented in being diagnosed.
David was also relatively or extremely lucky in many ways by not being entrapped by psychiatric system which many are and who become stigmatised and laden with these labels and medciated sometimes for life told they have this "disease"when in actual fact it is a passing "breakdown"brought on maybe by stress or unresolved issues or trauma or as he says an identity crisis which was also I believe exacerbated by smoking cannabis which has also been recognised as a trigger especially in those already vulnerable maybe.
I believe definitely it is a identity crisis,a breakdown of who you think you are or a damaged sense of self due to trauma or as he says growing up ina society that "others"you and makes you feel unwelcome or alienated or somehow "abnormal"
I also know so many who receive this diagnosis who also have dysfunctional,developmental and relational trauma in the backgrounds from difficult family dynamics and also many who have history of sexual abuse.Whats important is that "psychosis"or those "illnesses"that come under the umbrella of "psychotic disorders"are understood in terms of a persons history and background and possible traumas which have fractired or alientaed a person from a coherent sense of self.
David whilst his expereinces sound very scary and traumatic was ina way the "lucky one to escape a pathologising system that could have had him labelled and medicated for years or a lifetime as many are.
We have to change the way we look at these so called "disorders"and how we understand them and as possible responses to trauma either from earlier in childhood or ongoing trauma or a recent trauma that could send anyone in the right circumstances into a psychotic state.