Hello friends, thank you so much for the support and love! I've been rewatching this interview and I'm amazed that I was able to share my life with y'all, even when at the time of the interview things were sucking really bad. I'm grateful to have this interview to go back to and remind myself that I am a fighter, aware of my emotions, and that I can help others. Much love to y'all!
I'm so glad you shared your story and talked about how mental health is seen in different cultures. My dad is from Panama and the same stigma is present in his culture. It's important for people to realize that social pressures can really harm neurodivergent people if the culture believes these differences are some sort of moral failure.
Mahalo John from Hawai’i. I used to think when I was a young adult it would be easier if I went off the deep end to insanity, because it would explain my unhappiness at that time. I eventually got better because of understanding and supportive Friends. You are very intelligent and your conversation made so much sense. I wish you all the best
We lived in Korea for two years. Listening to him talking about how you can’t talk about your mental health problems because it’s weakness. I saw this a lot. I hope he’s well.
Yeah. A lot of Asian cultures are like this. I’m Indian and even in the Indian community, mental health or illnesses are heavily frowned down upon and a sign of weakness. We have a lot of ways to go in the Asian community regarding mental health
Yes.. and in Korea, it also seems like there's not alot of disabled or mentally ill people around as you don't see them often or even hear about them. But it's not because there's not alot of them, they're either extremely isolated from society or for other reasons. And often they choose suicide... I can see how the first question just hit him like a brick and I understand. Even as a Korean who moved abroad at young age (and back unfortunately), the societal expectation, rules, and stigma still affects me alot as a person with moderate(thats subjective) mental illness. The need to be 'normal' and 'good enough' drives people over the edge. A good society should allow individuals to do and feel the best they can with their own given circumstances and traits. There is no one right answer to live life. But I forget that all the time..
I've been teaching in korea for 5 years now and I see it all the time. I do what I can to help raise awareness and advocate for students, but it's hard to accomplish anything alone. I really hope more younger people will continue speaking up so attitudes can change.
This was a fantastic interview John. Most of all, I hope it was helpful for YOU to tell your story because by doing so you are helping to educate others and letting those with similar struggles know that they're not alone. Your experience and voice are so valuable.
Throughout this interview John mentioned his desire to form connections and also his love of art. I included links in the description above where you can connect with John and also see his creations. Thank you for helping to break the stigma, John!
Not sure if you notice but their is a loud hum in the background of all these videos and it kinda makes me anxious. Do you think you could work on not having it in the future?
@@mr.sushi2221 Hi. I never hear a hum on these videos. Do you think it might be your device or your speakers? I have a DVD player that hums and drives me crazy. Best wishes to you!
The way John is able to illustrate the actual things going on in his head is so well done. It’s hard to see what others feel but I feel like I could picture what he talks about throughout. Way better job than I could do..
His also seems to be a lot more subtle than others. I wish I could communicate like he did, but it would be like trying to explain dimensional theory after the 4th 😅 I guess that's why therapy doesn't work for everyone 😕 Still super nice to finally start seeing more videos coming out, cause it feels lonely here
As a person with OCD I actually related so much to what he was saying about the experience of intrusive thoughts and how distressing they are, and that they don't match your actual wants. hearnig him talk about the misfiring of the brain and that it isn't your fault was beautiful, thank you john
@@horizonblack hi horizon! Yes def. Though it’s tricky to remind myself that, as my main theme is existential topics… so I’m always hyperaware of myself and my thoughts. Lol. 😬 Be well.
OCD here too 🖐 A reminder for everyone~though it’s hard to keep in mind 🙃, always try to remind yourself that the only truth about OCD is that it always lies. We are not our intrusive thoughts.
What a sharp, super well spoken, highly intelligent man.He communicates about his illness so clearly and that allows me to understand him, and his diagnosis, better. John, please know that what you’re doing is super helpful for thousands of people and that your willingness to be open and vulnerable is priceless. You are absolutely correct, this last year, or 2, was a train wreck for many of us and you seem to be handling it brilliantly. You definitely helped me!!! Thank you!
All of this is EXACTLY what I was going to say. John is clearly so smart, insightful, aware...and the cultural aspect is really important to share -- that culturally based stigma can be so hard to deal with, and can feel so alienating and isolating. John, I think you're an amazing person -- thank you for being interviewed on SBSK. Please keep on keeping on. :)
He really does speak like a pro, almost from a Dr. or therapist point of view. I wonder just how many Asians contemplate every day or every hour their self worth. His grandparents might have seemed so strong yet what if they just hid all these similar thoughts? I'm guessing they probably did, just like sooooo many other people, Asian or otherwise.
@@asherrogers2687It’s from a lot of experience with doctors. I’ve been hospitalized a lot and in a lot of therapy. I’m white and Arab and i’m always told how shockingly well i express my schiz.
It is next to impossible to discuss invisible illnesses with my family.. it wasn’t until I developed a physical diseases that they paid attention, but even then at a level of scrutiny and criticism rather than support. I completely empathize with John.
Same with me. I remember during my first year of having Lupus, my abusive narcissist Asian mother said "it's your fault you got ill with this Lupus". Lupus has been proven to have no definite cause, it's different case by case :) the symptoms are similar depending on the severity scale but the causes are different to individuals. But I'm not surprised by what she said anymore because she's a narcissist. I can't except unconditional love, understanding and unconditional kindness without owing back with favours from a narcissist. And that's just how it is. She also said "you're crazy" when I told her I had anxiety years ago when I was 16. The older generations just weren't educated or taught much about health conditions and mental health considering how barbaric the treatments and medications were even just back in the 1900s! Good medication and treatments have only just come about in this new digital age, which is pretty surreal to think about! At least with the younger generations, we can advocate and educate them better especially with technology as an advantage to learning better, and we can stop this toxic and abusive generational cycles once and for all! Much love ♡
I feel for John so much. I've had violent intrusive thoughts (typically aimed at myself) since middle school or early high school. It took me so long to realize that those thoughts weren't me. Even once I realized they weren't me, they were still really exhausting to deal with. It's been so beneficial to my life to be able to find medication that helps quiet those thoughts, with rare exceptions for bad days. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I hope this next year goes better for you than your last 😊
Exhausting is a great word for it. I'll then get intrusive thoughts about my own self awareness of my intrusive thoughts that make getting back to "me" and my "genuine thoughts" (if that's even a thing) very difficult.
You are not your thoughts, not your worst thoughts and also not you best thoughts. Thoughts are the clouds, you are the sky. Try see it that way, it brings distance between you and your thoughts. Apart from this, know that bad thoughts are planted in your brain during childhood. They were your parents thoughts/words you were bombarded with at a very young age when your brain was very susceptible. You are repeating their thoughts and they were probably repeating their parents thoughts. Once you see this, you can become the chance in your whole family line, just by seeing it without judgement
People's ideas on mental illness in Korea is changing, but still not changing fast enough yet. I bet the Korean immigrants are even slower in making changes, since they are away from Korea. His Korean families must be staying at 90's idea for mental illenesses, believing that it is his fault for getting such symptoms. It is from great luck if you are living in a culture that is well educated on mental illnesses... I really appreciate his great bravery to share his stories like this.
Absolutely. South Korea has the second highest suicide rate of all the OECD countries (second only to Lithuania) and its no wonder why when you examine the common attitudes towards mental illness there (and things like toxic work culture, extreme academic pressure placed on students, etc)
You're spot-on about immigrant families in the diaspora holding onto the values from decades ago. They're stuck in time, not evolving with the changes in social attitudes in their resident country or native country. I'm not even Korean but I notice this with my community
@SAM Well, USA is the very front-line country when it comes to Psychological academic studies. Most of other countries are very little-educated about mental illnesses overall. Korea is relatively catching up faster... but I cant deny we have highest suicidal rate, the avarage people's lives are getting harder to survive.
@SAM Yeah plastic surgery and superficial stuffs are there too, but one of the prominent reason behind the youngsters' suicide is mostly economical.. 20-30's in Korea these days are facing poverty due to high price of houses and low employment rate. And COVID is making it worse these days.
I hope he is able to form those connections he's always desired. He seems like a chill guy that would be fun to be around. Bringing light to how mental health is stigmatized in certain parts of the world is important. I wish things could be more open and accepting for people dealing with mental illness.
Chris, the way you got in front of the "violent thoughts" conversation and diffused it by acknowledging its possible impact on the community and on John was masterful. I have only been watching your videos for a few days but I have already learned so much from you and you have inspired me to work harder on being compassionate towards others and myself.
Me diagnosticaron esquizofrenia hace años y he tenido medicamento y terapia desde entonces. Justo ahora tenía una crisis y me encontré éste video maravilloso. Creo que lo más importante es sentirnos apoyados y comprendidos tengamos un diagnóstico o no es primordial para la recuperación. Bendiciones para éste hermoso canal del cual aprendo tanto. Lo más importante es mantener viva la esperanza en momentos difíciles. 💖
@@junjunsay93 tuve psicosis y síntomas diversos, las cosas que veía cambiaban de forma y tamaño, sinestesias de tacto cuando veía figuras en patrones iguales, perdí la capacidad de sumar, restar, terrores nocturnos, muchas cosas. Me dijeron que fue esquizofrenia indiferenciada. A la fecha llevo años sin síntomas psicóticos y recuperé mis capacidades cognitivas. Lo que me quedó es una dificultad para ser autosuficiente en la cuestión emocional. Soledad, miedo, tristeza ansiedad.
John seems like a really nice, sensitive guy and so eloquent with his descriptions. Kinda guy that would be cool to hang out with. I wish you all the best!
Have you ever visited the "Living well with Schizophrenia" channel here on YT? If not, you should. Lauren is a mine of information and her purpose is to de-stigmatise SZ. She is fantastic.
I like the way John describes intrusive thoughts: They're intrusive and upsetting because they are disturbing, they don't feel like you. No one thinks a sudden "I should buy that person's lunch for them" type thought is intrusive because we're not disturbed by it. I also grew up in a culture where emotions weren't shown, especially anger, and I had a lot of intrusive, angry thoughts (and still struggle with them when I'm very stressed) and they suck! Thank you so much for sharing!
I have so much respect and admiration for John for being so open and vulnerable his mental health, especially having grown up in a culture that has so little understanding and tolerance for mental illness. It's great to hear that his parents seem supportive of his treatment now. And his art is so beautiful!! What a talented and thoughtful guy all around.
As someone with OCD who also experienced intrusive, violent thoughts, I found a lot of what you said to be extremely comforting. Thank you so so much for being open and vulnerable. It has certainly empowered and inspired me.
As someone with mental illnesses and disabilities mentally, I struggle with people also trying to hush me with talking about my experience and I always felt frustrated with it. The way John talked about it as having your autonomy being taken away totally resonated with me. I just want people to be aware and also be comfortable with coming to me for things they may be scared to talk about. I ABSOLUTELY loved hearing and watching this. I thoroughly wish John the best. I wish there was a way to reach out to John personally because he seems like such a nice being.
All the topic of being Asian with a mental disorder gets me emotional. I once had a boyfriend who had chinese descent, and I watched him closely struggling with bipolar disorder amongst an Asian family, trying hard to live the life they wanted him to live. My lowest moment this year was losing this friend to a mental disorder
John, I 'd like you to know that you're absolutely not alone and that you certainly can do it. It's not I'm just making conversation. Unfortunately Korean culture is not the only culture that tends to stigmatise mental health. Lots of unexpected western cultures do it too. It's the same old story about being afraid of what looks different, the same dangerous attitude that has done so much harm throughout all history. That's why it's important just to talk about it. You're not wrong, you're no different than us all. A big virtual hug from Italy
Thank you for sharing about yourself, John. I have major depressive disorder and I'm currently very overwhelmed by existential dread, and your words about reminding yourself that you can just enjoy life and your past joy was real were really helpful.
안녕하세요 I agree that is very difficult to be in a conservative society with mental illness. I am in my mid-50s and my parents would not admit that I had a mental illness. I did not get help until I moved out. Blessings to you!
I love this dude. Very thoughtful and logical. He seems to be managing his illness very well. ❤️💪🏼 Also, I would love to talk to him myself, but I’m sure he will be too popular to do so after this, haha. I appreciate the honesty! Honesty is super important to me. Great interview.
Hello John! Wow, you are very brave to share your life with us out here! This channel is really changing how people think about and react to differences in people. We are all related. We all need the same things. You are contributing important information! I am glad I met you! ❤
This channel is doing so much to destigmatise mental illness and all types of disabilities. It's a real contribution to building a more inclusive humanity. I really have learnt so much from this channel.
As an Asian person, I totally feel this. It's true amongst the older generations of Asians but I think just in the world in general too, older generations didn't grow up being taught about mental health because to them, it simply "didn't exist". I remember when I first found out I had anxiety at around 16, and I told my abusive narcissist Asian mother (who's now 52) that I had anxiety and that's why I was scared about doing something, she told me "you're crazy!". It took me a long while to get past that but I've let it go now because that resentment did nothing but weigh me down. But it's the truth with the older generations, if you were mentally ill, you were either viewed as tired or crazy and laughed at, then they were given dangerous meds and treatments to treat mental health such as shock therapy or drilling holes into people's skulls and that was about it. It is actually caveman level of barbaric, and understanding mental health is honestly a new age thing that has come with the Digital Age, we're still needing to deepen our knowledge and studies about mental health now! The education system still needs to be updated around the world too because most of the world is stuck with 1900s education subjects and learning methods. It seems surreal to think that we have only just come out of a dark and uneducated time about a lot of things but here we are. I believe it will only get better from here as the younger more educated generations grow up :) anyway much love to John, I'll definitely check out his links and try connect, he seems lovely to talk to. We all just need understanding and kindness with one another honestly ♡
we have to consider that our parents comes from a different era, most parents and grandparents didnt finish school or never learned about anything, because they didnt have time for it, they come from a era that you only worked for your kids in hope they will get a good job in the future for them. that stereotype of parents wanting their kids to be doctors, exist for a reason.
This morning I woke up and had very violent intrusive thoughts about my parents (the first in a while), these past three weeks have been rough for me and I feel lost, slacking and hopeless..first video I click on and you actually addressed violent intrusive thoughts, thank you John, this video means a lot to me, I feel seen and understood
Chris I cannot thank you enough for doing this interview with John who has schizoaffective disorder. I've been waiting and waiting for you to do an interview like this. My best friend had schizoaffective disorder and it was so difficult for her to live with all of the negative voices she would hear. She never heard a voice that was positive it was always telling her to either kill herself or go kill someone else. And I'm so glad you're letting everything come out in this video. I myself struggle with severe mental illness and I love this guy. I understand what he is going through and that it has nothing to do with him as a person. His brain is broken that's all. Just as if someone had a kidney problem. I really love the way you interviewed him and his responses where so beautiful and so heartfelt. All I can say is I hope people learn about schizoaffective disorder. I had another friend who has had it its very difficult to live with it, schizophrenia with bipolar disorder. And like John said it plays itself out differently with each person. And I know what it means to constantly be thinking about dying and death its very scary and sometimes you don't know its not real, that they are just thoughts going through your head. It takes an immense amount of courage and strength to deal with what John is dealing with. Its not easy it is extremely difficult. But he is doing it and I'm going to subscribe right away to his TH-cam channel. I can't wait to see what he has to say. Thank you Chris so very much for making this video.
I'm addressing John and his concern directly right now. I appreciate you, I understand you (within the limits of someone who isn't diagnosed similarly), and I respect you as a fellow human.
Exceptional expression and vulnerability. I so appreciate this. Especially the difficulties with aggression, and the struggle with how that can undermine connections with others, isolate, change sense of self.
Hey John, you have incredible charisma. You living so close to the truth is a fresh breeze of air in this society. Also, I love your art - it's so beautiful and expressful!
you are a very brave men and God bless you I love you brother please take care of yourself and always remember the thoughts are not equals reality you got this
Thank you for sharing your story John! As a fellow Asian, I agree that among Asians, they tend to ignore mental health and pretend that it doesn’t exist or that it brings shame to the family. I know because when I was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar major depression, I hid it from everyone in my family. However, they all know now and at first they acted really weird around me. Meds and therapy help, also finding my triggers help me cope. Any diagnosis is on a spectrum and no diagnosis is the same for any two people. Sending you lots of love and great thoughts for your creative space! ❤️
Thanks for sharing. I work in a boys school.. with lots of struggling teenager's and I honestly think he would be an amazing speaker for them to understand their feelings and that they're not alone!
I so appreciate your openness to share where you're at. My son was recently diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia. He doesn't like to talk about stuff. Listening to you has helped me to understand. Thank you.
I just want to first say thank you John for being so open and honest, I found you to be very smart and self aware. You have a very sweet soul and may god continue to bless you and surround you with people who love and cherish you.
Love you John ! And I appreciate you sharing about yourself with everyone who watches! The only way to understand is to listen and I thank you for allowing us to listen to you ! Checked your IG BTW- awesome art !!!
My best friend has schizophrenia and I see a lot of relations to John. I hope John knows that he is loved and that he isn’t alone. Almost lost my friend because he thought he was alone.
i don't think i am exaggerating at all but this channel is one of the most important ones on TH-cam let alone anything on Television. Keep it up. Great on the people coming on to share their lives.
I have the same diagnosis. My first episode I was 17 in the middle of my junior year of high school. I'm thankful my family has taken care of me through all my episodes. Now I'm 21, also clean and sober 83 days today. Tons and tons of people don't understand the psychosis. At first I was like why me. But being on the right medication and being sober, I accepted it and pray for those still struggling
Hello Chris (i assume you read the comments) i have been following this channel for a couple of years and i have to make you a compliment. Your emphatic, spontaneous and heartfelt way of interviewing is not only very interesting and touching to look at but i think is of great importance. It is mainly because of you that people who otherwise might not be really listened to, not being knowledge or perhaps not being taken really seriously, that those persons have a face and have a voice, they are not the man or woman (child) with this or that disorder but real individuals that just like the average person is in need of Acceptance Compassion and Love.Thanks to you there is more and more acceptance and awareness for people with disabilities and or disorders and every country in the world should have a person like you to advocate for them. Have you ever considered to some kind of world tour where you gonna do the same kind of interviews but then with support of local tv networks? Stay healthy, save and happy
he articulated himself so well, wouldnt be able to tell that he was nervous. thank you for sharing john. i wish you all the love and happiness in the world.
I think John seems like a great young man that has his struggles and he’s getting help. He is helping others, I’m sure of that. Thank you very much for sharing his story. I love this channel.
Hi, John. Thank you for your lovely interview. I've been to some of those amazing manic places myself, and I've also dealt with the reality of managing a slower, sadder, darker world. I find joy in sharing my experiences and in just building morning, days, and nights that are fun and make sense to me. Joy to you! Whispers can be upsetting. I find that if I sleep less than 4 hours a night for too many consecutive nights, the whispers escalate into a strange sort of "awake" dreaming. It only lasts for seconds at a time, but it feels like paranoia and can lead to fear.
Watching your videos while in crisis mode is a helpful grounding tool. As someone with cptsd mdd gad ocd who has psychiatric therapy twice weekly &multiple medications disruption in that safety net is indescribable. Today I got an email from my therapist whose father passed away over the weekend, and all appointments are canceled for the next two weeks. Currently trying to manage the overwhelming feelings of losing everything. Thank you for sharing your story, it's something to be proud of. Muchlovealways
You've got a great personality, John. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I'm sure it's been so tough for you, but sending nothing but love your way 😊
I really enjoyed the entire interview, but the part that really struck home for me on a personal level was about having violent intrusive thoughts. I have hardly ever even told anyone about my struggling with these myself, I always fear what they will think, I fear they will become afraid of me. I don't even think I have mentioned it to my current therapist or prescriber, I only mention the paranoia, it makes me feel sad that I have not been able to open up about this to people who I know and who are there for me in every other aspect, maybe they will be there for me still even if I tell them. Thank you so much for leaving that portion in the video, it really helps to not feel alone when I hear other people struggle with similar things.
John, thanks so much for helping me learn more about schizoaffective disorder, and therefore helping me better understand people who have the disorder. You sharing your story opened my eyes, and you have such a great way of speaking honestly and realistically about what you struggle with and what helps you. You've touched a lot of people with this episode, so thank you again!
I liked a lot how he said that those things aren t him because they disturb him and only if they didn’t it would have been a problem. it s so true and something to keep in mind
Thank you so much, John, for sharing your story. There is no doubt it will help a lot of people who is struggling in the same way to feel more confident and less lonely. It takes courage to speak so openly about your struggles without sugarcoating anything. It is something to be really proud of. And yes, you deserve all the love in the world.
My brother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder a few years ago, and this interview helped me understand him better and what he might be going through. Thank you for that, and wish you all the best! ♥
John I'm so happy you're able to tell your story and share with us about your life. You have been through so much yet your light shines through. Sending you hugs and best wishes from the UK x
I hope You are reading this ! Your '' Illness '' is nothing bad nor weak. Many People cant even tell what they feel. So i think of your condition as a Superpower to be Trained ! Dont give Up Brother ! Even i never met you, im sure You are a Awesome Person and it would be a Pleasure to meet you.
I relate deeply to most of this. John, you are not alone. Thank you so much for sharing. For me the worst part is the paranoia of thinking that people hate me (especially loved ones), the isolation, and feeling absolutely incapable of communicating what is going on when things are unbearable. The anger for me is a major difficulty too, you said it PERFECTLY, it destroys everything, even if you don't do anything! And I still couldn't find a way to deal, express it, get it out of me, in a way that doesn't make everything worse. Also, because some things don't just depend on us, sometimes there is really no support and nothing is safe. Sometimes there is only our own prayers to try and make it to the next day somehow. You are very brave for talking about all of this. I don't think I could do it, I'd probably be too confused, my words don't come out right in real life when talking about hard things. Thank you so much to voice it all out!!!!!! I also believe there is hope despite of everything. Together there is always hope!
John, much love to you! I can relate to your description of intrusive thoughts so so much. It is a bit haunting how similar I experience this myself. I am on the bipolar side, combined with chronic depression. I struggle so much with these intrusive, negative those, often they are violent, too. It is really beautiful to see your interview and to experience you talking so openly about it. Thank you so much for this video. I wish you all the possible best!
What a precious value & loving education you create John, through your generous, frank discussion and descriptions with Chris and with us. Kudos to you both for this interview--this permanent contribution--and for being you! Thanks to you, and to all SBSK past & future participants, for these continually invaluable, generous insights into the human condition. 🌿💚🌿
You were incredible, Johnny. You spoke for all of us struggling with different levels of mental illness. For that, I thank you. It couldn't have been more beautifully expressed!!!🙏🏽💐
You are brave for doing this. I have struggled with depression since I was 12. Some days are better. Some days are worse. Worst part is some people saying "lmao you are just sad. Just get better"
(Just in case John’s reading through the comments😂) What an insightful video! Your explanation of intrusive thoughts was a really helpful reminder. I have depression-this past year, I’ve gotten intrusive thoughts that have kept me up for a few nights at a time. It’s so IMPORTANT to vocalize those thoughts…nobody should have to go through that alone. I’m just a stranger, but I just gotta say that I’m really proud of you (because mental health is a challenging journey), and I hope that you’re remembering to celebrate your day-to-day accomplishments!!😊
I am so happy to hear you speak about your experience. You are so articulate and able to explain things so well. My dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the 1970s. He went through so much in his life and we, his family, went through it too. He felt so ashamed that he rarely talked about what it was like to actually have manic episodes. I have so much compassion for you. My dad was an amazing man with many gifts and talents and he really touched the lives of people who knew him. I think you need to know that you also are loved and valued by the people in your life and also now that you’ve shared your experience there will be many people all over the world who will be touched by what you’ve shared and show appreciation to you. Keep going!
I've also struggled with violent intrusive thoughts, and it's heart warming to hear you share the message that it's not you, and doesn't mean your a bad person thank you so much, and I wish you well on your journey!
What a lovely and insightful guy. He is able to describe his experiences in such a meaningful and clear way. Hi from Australia! I have mental disorders that require vigilance and ongoing management too. It’s not easy, but you are not alone. I wish you all the best and hope you find the community you need through this vid, after putting your story out there!
Hello friends, thank you so much for the support and love! I've been rewatching this interview and I'm amazed that I was able to share my life with y'all, even when at the time of the interview things were sucking really bad. I'm grateful to have this interview to go back to and remind myself that I am a fighter, aware of my emotions, and that I can help others. Much love to y'all!
I'm so glad you shared your story and talked about how mental health is seen in different cultures. My dad is from Panama and the same stigma is present in his culture. It's important for people to realize that social pressures can really harm neurodivergent people if the culture believes these differences are some sort of moral failure.
You're a great guy, keep the fight up buddy
Mahalo John from Hawai’i.
I used to think when I was a young adult it would be easier if I went off the deep end to insanity, because it would explain my unhappiness at that time. I eventually got better because of understanding and supportive Friends.
You are very intelligent and your conversation made so much sense.
I wish you all the best
Thank you so very much for sharing your story. You are loved and such an amazing person. You got a friend in me 🤗
You are so valid and respected and thank you for sharing
We lived in Korea for two years. Listening to him talking about how you can’t talk about your mental health problems because it’s weakness. I saw this a lot. I hope he’s well.
Not in Korea but 100% same. Even in his struggles, I'm so proud of him.
Yeah. A lot of Asian cultures are like this. I’m Indian and even in the Indian community, mental health or illnesses are heavily frowned down upon and a sign of weakness. We have a lot of ways to go in the Asian community regarding mental health
in south east asia if you said you have mental illness most likely your family will think exorcism (in any belief/alternatives) Is the cure 😭
Yes.. and in Korea, it also seems like there's not alot of disabled or mentally ill people around as you don't see them often or even hear about them. But it's not because there's not alot of them, they're either extremely isolated from society or for other reasons. And often they choose suicide... I can see how the first question just hit him like a brick and I understand. Even as a Korean who moved abroad at young age (and back unfortunately), the societal expectation, rules, and stigma still affects me alot as a person with moderate(thats subjective) mental illness. The need to be 'normal' and 'good enough' drives people over the edge. A good society should allow individuals to do and feel the best they can with their own given circumstances and traits. There is no one right answer to live life. But I forget that all the time..
I've been teaching in korea for 5 years now and I see it all the time. I do what I can to help raise awareness and advocate for students, but it's hard to accomplish anything alone. I really hope more younger people will continue speaking up so attitudes can change.
"Just because I look nice, doesn't mean I'm not struggling." I felt this so much.
Thank you so much Chris and to everyone who supports SBSK! I appreciate all the love and support which gives me hope to keep pressing on - THANK YOU!
Thank you!
I hope you’re doing great! It was a nice video to watch. Thanks for being so honest.
P.S. you have a lovely voice!
thank YOU for sharing your story!! press on and don't give up!!
You're a cool dude, don't forget that.
This was a fantastic interview John. Most of all, I hope it was helpful for YOU to tell your story because by doing so you are helping to educate others and letting those with similar struggles know that they're not alone. Your experience and voice are so valuable.
Throughout this interview John mentioned his desire to form connections and also his love of art. I included links in the description above where you can connect with John and also see his creations. Thank you for helping to break the stigma, John!
Not sure if you notice but their is a loud hum in the background of all these videos and it kinda makes me anxious. Do you think you could work on not having it in the future?
@@mr.sushi2221 Hi. I never hear a hum on these videos. Do you think it might be your device or your speakers? I have a DVD player that hums and drives me crazy. Best wishes to you!
@@davidcopperfield-notthemag397 no theirs a hum turn it up it sounds like tv static.
You rock John!
You're a very Brave guy John. I admire your honesty and how you still remain to be positive despite everything you've been through 💯% ❤
The way John is able to illustrate the actual things going on in his head is so well done. It’s hard to see what others feel but I feel like I could picture what he talks about throughout. Way better job than I could do..
Ya I don't think he realizes that's not s common trait in all people that's a plus in my book
His description of being happy as the absence of panic/anxiety is profound.
His also seems to be a lot more subtle than others. I wish I could communicate like he did, but it would be like trying to explain dimensional theory after the 4th 😅
I guess that's why therapy doesn't work for everyone 😕
Still super nice to finally start seeing more videos coming out, cause it feels lonely here
We love you John, don’t ever be ashamed of who you are!
As a person with OCD I actually related so much to what he was saying about the experience of intrusive thoughts and how distressing they are, and that they don't match your actual wants. hearnig him talk about the misfiring of the brain and that it isn't your fault was beautiful, thank you john
Same here, Emily. There’s a lot of similarities between the conditions.
Wishing you all the best!
@@horizonblack hi horizon! Yes def. Though it’s tricky to remind myself that, as my main theme is existential topics… so I’m always hyperaware of myself and my thoughts. Lol. 😬
Be well.
OCD here too 🖐
A reminder for everyone~though it’s hard to keep in mind 🙃, always try to remind yourself that the only truth about OCD is that it always lies. We are not our intrusive thoughts.
@@carat9372 agreed ! So important ✌️
@@delia5588 How are you doing & are you receiving medication? 🥲
What a sharp, super well spoken, highly intelligent man.He communicates about his illness so clearly and that allows me to understand him, and his diagnosis, better. John, please know that what you’re doing is super helpful for thousands of people and that your willingness to be open and vulnerable is priceless. You are absolutely correct, this last year, or 2, was a train wreck for many of us and you seem to be handling it brilliantly. You definitely helped me!!! Thank you!
So well said!!
All of this is EXACTLY what I was going to say. John is clearly so smart, insightful, aware...and the cultural aspect is really important to share -- that culturally based stigma can be so hard to deal with, and can feel so alienating and isolating. John, I think you're an amazing person -- thank you for being interviewed on SBSK. Please keep on keeping on. :)
He really does speak like a pro, almost from a Dr. or therapist point of view. I wonder just how many Asians contemplate every day or every hour their self worth. His grandparents might have seemed so strong yet what if they just hid all these similar thoughts? I'm guessing they probably did, just like sooooo many other people, Asian or otherwise.
@@asherrogers2687It’s from a lot of experience with doctors. I’ve been hospitalized a lot and in a lot of therapy. I’m white and Arab and i’m always told how shockingly well i express my schiz.
It is next to impossible to discuss invisible illnesses with my family.. it wasn’t until I developed a physical diseases that they paid attention, but even then at a level of scrutiny and criticism rather than support. I completely empathize with John.
Same with me. I remember during my first year of having Lupus, my abusive narcissist Asian mother said "it's your fault you got ill with this Lupus". Lupus has been proven to have no definite cause, it's different case by case :) the symptoms are similar depending on the severity scale but the causes are different to individuals. But I'm not surprised by what she said anymore because she's a narcissist. I can't except unconditional love, understanding and unconditional kindness without owing back with favours from a narcissist. And that's just how it is. She also said "you're crazy" when I told her I had anxiety years ago when I was 16. The older generations just weren't educated or taught much about health conditions and mental health considering how barbaric the treatments and medications were even just back in the 1900s! Good medication and treatments have only just come about in this new digital age, which is pretty surreal to think about!
At least with the younger generations, we can advocate and educate them better especially with technology as an advantage to learning better, and we can stop this toxic and abusive generational cycles once and for all! Much love ♡
@@bwingbwinggwiyomi
So sorry you had to go through that. I'm glad you see that it's your mother's problem not accepting you, not yours! 💙
Sorry to here that the world need to understand mental health is not personal...
I can relate. The hispanic community has little understanding about problems and facing new challenges.
I totally get it.
I feel for John so much. I've had violent intrusive thoughts (typically aimed at myself) since middle school or early high school. It took me so long to realize that those thoughts weren't me. Even once I realized they weren't me, they were still really exhausting to deal with.
It's been so beneficial to my life to be able to find medication that helps quiet those thoughts, with rare exceptions for bad days.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I hope this next year goes better for you than your last 😊
Exhausting is a great word for it. I'll then get intrusive thoughts about my own self awareness of my intrusive thoughts that make getting back to "me" and my "genuine thoughts" (if that's even a thing) very difficult.
You are not your thoughts, not your worst thoughts and also not you best thoughts. Thoughts are the clouds, you are the sky. Try see it that way, it brings distance between you and your thoughts.
Apart from this, know that bad thoughts are planted in your brain during childhood. They were your parents thoughts/words you were bombarded with at a very young age when your brain was very susceptible. You are repeating their thoughts and they were probably repeating their parents thoughts. Once you see this, you can become the chance in your whole family line, just by seeing it without judgement
@@wilma8326 Sorry, but that is very bad advice. People with illnesses like schizoaffective disorder can't "think" their way out of it.
What should I do if I’m getting those same intrusive thoughts?
@@変化する Seek professional help.
People's ideas on mental illness in Korea is changing, but still not changing fast enough yet.
I bet the Korean immigrants are even slower in making changes, since they are away from Korea. His Korean families must be staying at 90's idea for mental illenesses, believing that it is his fault for getting such symptoms.
It is from great luck if you are living in a culture that is well educated on mental illnesses... I really appreciate his great bravery to share his stories like this.
Absolutely. South Korea has the second highest suicide rate of all the OECD countries (second only to Lithuania) and its no wonder why when you examine the common attitudes towards mental illness there (and things like toxic work culture, extreme academic pressure placed on students, etc)
You're spot-on about immigrant families in the diaspora holding onto the values from decades ago. They're stuck in time, not evolving with the changes in social attitudes in their resident country or native country. I'm not even Korean but I notice this with my community
@SAM Well, USA is the very front-line country when it comes to Psychological academic studies. Most of other countries are very little-educated about mental illnesses overall. Korea is relatively catching up faster... but I cant deny we have highest suicidal rate, the avarage people's lives are getting harder to survive.
@SAM Yeah plastic surgery and superficial stuffs are there too, but one of the prominent reason behind the youngsters' suicide is mostly economical..
20-30's in Korea these days are facing poverty due to high price of houses and low employment rate. And COVID is making it worse these days.
I hope he is able to form those connections he's always desired. He seems like a chill guy that would be fun to be around. Bringing light to how mental health is stigmatized in certain parts of the world is important. I wish things could be more open and accepting for people dealing with mental illness.
Chris, the way you got in front of the "violent thoughts" conversation and diffused it by acknowledging its possible impact on the community and on John was masterful. I have only been watching your videos for a few days but I have already learned so much from you and you have inspired me to work harder on being compassionate towards others and myself.
Me diagnosticaron esquizofrenia hace años y he tenido medicamento y terapia desde entonces. Justo ahora tenía una crisis y me encontré éste video maravilloso. Creo que lo más importante es sentirnos apoyados y comprendidos tengamos un diagnóstico o no es primordial para la recuperación. Bendiciones para éste hermoso canal del cual aprendo tanto. Lo más importante es mantener viva la esperanza en momentos difíciles. 💖
Fierro, parientón.
Q sintomas te dieron para llegar a ese diagnostico si se puede preguntar?
@@junjunsay93 tuve psicosis y síntomas diversos, las cosas que veía cambiaban de forma y tamaño, sinestesias de tacto cuando veía figuras en patrones iguales, perdí la capacidad de sumar, restar, terrores nocturnos, muchas cosas. Me dijeron que fue esquizofrenia indiferenciada. A la fecha llevo años sin síntomas psicóticos y recuperé mis capacidades cognitivas. Lo que me quedó es una dificultad para ser autosuficiente en la cuestión emocional. Soledad, miedo, tristeza ansiedad.
🤍🤍🤍
John seems like a really nice, sensitive guy and so eloquent with his descriptions. Kinda guy that would be cool to hang out with. I wish you all the best!
He’s so articulate. This is an excellent video for a psychology PhD student.
Have you ever visited the "Living well with Schizophrenia" channel here on YT? If not, you should. Lauren is a mine of information and her purpose is to de-stigmatise SZ. She is fantastic.
lul, no he isn't
I like the way John describes intrusive thoughts: They're intrusive and upsetting because they are disturbing, they don't feel like you. No one thinks a sudden "I should buy that person's lunch for them" type thought is intrusive because we're not disturbed by it. I also grew up in a culture where emotions weren't shown, especially anger, and I had a lot of intrusive, angry thoughts (and still struggle with them when I'm very stressed) and they suck! Thank you so much for sharing!
I have so much respect and admiration for John for being so open and vulnerable his mental health, especially having grown up in a culture that has so little understanding and tolerance for mental illness. It's great to hear that his parents seem supportive of his treatment now. And his art is so beautiful!! What a talented and thoughtful guy all around.
I learned so much from this interview. John's a good communicator.
As someone with OCD who also experienced intrusive, violent thoughts, I found a lot of what you said to be extremely comforting. Thank you so so much for being open and vulnerable. It has certainly empowered and inspired me.
I'm an old lady in New Mexico who has been through what you have, and I LOVE YOU for who you are!
John, your vulnerability is very much appreciated. Your openness is going to help a lot of people feel less alone
As someone with mental illnesses and disabilities mentally, I struggle with people also trying to hush me with talking about my experience and I always felt frustrated with it. The way John talked about it as having your autonomy being taken away totally resonated with me. I just want people to be aware and also be comfortable with coming to me for things they may be scared to talk about.
I ABSOLUTELY loved hearing and watching this. I thoroughly wish John the best. I wish there was a way to reach out to John personally because he seems like such a nice being.
All the topic of being Asian with a mental disorder gets me emotional. I once had a boyfriend who had chinese descent, and I watched him closely struggling with bipolar disorder amongst an Asian family, trying hard to live the life they wanted him to live. My lowest moment this year was losing this friend to a mental disorder
John, I 'd like you to know that you're absolutely not alone and that you certainly can do it. It's not I'm just making conversation. Unfortunately Korean culture is not the only culture that tends to stigmatise mental health. Lots of unexpected western cultures do it too. It's the same old story about being afraid of what looks different, the same dangerous attitude that has done so much harm throughout all history. That's why it's important just to talk about it. You're not wrong, you're no different than us all. A big virtual hug from Italy
Thank you for sharing about yourself, John. I have major depressive disorder and I'm currently very overwhelmed by existential dread, and your words about reminding yourself that you can just enjoy life and your past joy was real were really helpful.
안녕하세요
I agree that is very difficult to be in a conservative society with mental illness.
I am in my mid-50s and my parents would not admit that I had a mental illness. I did not get help until I moved out. Blessings to you!
wow that's rough
I love this dude.
Very thoughtful and logical. He seems to be managing his illness very well.
❤️💪🏼
Also, I would love to talk to him myself, but I’m sure he will be too popular to do so after this, haha.
I appreciate the honesty!
Honesty is super important to me.
Great interview.
Hello John! Wow, you are very brave to share your life with us out here! This channel is really changing how people think about and react to differences in people. We are all related. We all need the same things. You are contributing important information! I am glad I met you! ❤
This channel is doing so much to destigmatise mental illness and all types of disabilities. It's a real contribution to building a more inclusive humanity. I really have learnt so much from this channel.
John, you articulate your experiences so clearly. Thank you so much for making the decision to share with us. You are loved!
As an Asian person, I totally feel this. It's true amongst the older generations of Asians but I think just in the world in general too, older generations didn't grow up being taught about mental health because to them, it simply "didn't exist". I remember when I first found out I had anxiety at around 16, and I told my abusive narcissist Asian mother (who's now 52) that I had anxiety and that's why I was scared about doing something, she told me "you're crazy!". It took me a long while to get past that but I've let it go now because that resentment did nothing but weigh me down.
But it's the truth with the older generations, if you were mentally ill, you were either viewed as tired or crazy and laughed at, then they were given dangerous meds and treatments to treat mental health such as shock therapy or drilling holes into people's skulls and that was about it. It is actually caveman level of barbaric, and understanding mental health is honestly a new age thing that has come with the Digital Age, we're still needing to deepen our knowledge and studies about mental health now! The education system still needs to be updated around the world too because most of the world is stuck with 1900s education subjects and learning methods.
It seems surreal to think that we have only just come out of a dark and uneducated time about a lot of things but here we are. I believe it will only get better from here as the younger more educated generations grow up :) anyway much love to John, I'll definitely check out his links and try connect, he seems lovely to talk to. We all just need understanding and kindness with one another honestly ♡
we have to consider that our parents comes from a different era, most parents and grandparents didnt finish school or never learned about anything, because they didnt have time for it, they come from a era that you only worked for your kids in hope they will get a good job in the future for them.
that stereotype of parents wanting their kids to be doctors, exist for a reason.
❤❤❤
This morning I woke up and had very violent intrusive thoughts about my parents (the first in a while), these past three weeks have been rough for me and I feel lost, slacking and hopeless..first video I click on and you actually addressed violent intrusive thoughts, thank you John, this video means a lot to me, I feel seen and understood
What a powerful interview! Thanks for sharing.
Much love to John! I love art as well! Try to stay positive! I hope you can find comfort in your life. Heal up and I appreciate ya.
thank you for bringing awareness, from another schizo affective person
John is a lovely guy, i know this illness can be absolute hell, i can relate a lot
Chris I cannot thank you enough for doing this interview with John who has schizoaffective disorder. I've been waiting and waiting for you to do an interview like this. My best friend had schizoaffective disorder and it was so difficult for her to live with all of the negative voices she would hear. She never heard a voice that was positive it was always telling her to either kill herself or go kill someone else. And I'm so glad you're letting everything come out in this video. I myself struggle with severe mental illness and I love this guy. I understand what he is going through and that it has nothing to do with him as a person. His brain is broken that's all. Just as if someone had a kidney problem. I really love the way you interviewed him and his responses where so beautiful and so heartfelt. All I can say is I hope people learn about schizoaffective disorder. I had another friend who has had it its very difficult to live with it, schizophrenia with bipolar disorder. And like John said it plays itself out differently with each person. And I know what it means to constantly be thinking about dying and death its very scary and sometimes you don't know its not real, that they are just thoughts going through your head. It takes an immense amount of courage and strength to deal with what John is dealing with. Its not easy it is extremely difficult. But he is doing it and I'm going to subscribe right away to his TH-cam channel. I can't wait to see what he has to say. Thank you Chris so very much for making this video.
I agree you seem like a very nice friend to have I would like to reach out 🤗❤️🙏
@@eileendoherty2836 Hi Eileen. Thanks for your reply. Did you like the interview?
@@kavitadeva yes 👍
I'm addressing John and his concern directly right now.
I appreciate you, I understand you (within the limits of someone who isn't diagnosed similarly), and I respect you as a fellow human.
Exceptional expression and vulnerability. I so appreciate this. Especially the difficulties with aggression, and the struggle with how that can undermine connections with others, isolate, change sense of self.
Hey John, you have incredible charisma. You living so close to the truth is a fresh breeze of air in this society. Also, I love your art - it's so beautiful and expressful!
you are a very brave men and God bless you I love you brother please take care of yourself and always remember the thoughts are not equals reality you got this
Don’t ever think you’re too much, lots of people are in a very similar situation as you so I hope you can get close to them
Thank you for sharing your story John! As a fellow Asian, I agree that among Asians, they tend to ignore mental health and pretend that it doesn’t exist or that it brings shame to the family. I know because when I was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar major depression, I hid it from everyone in my family. However, they all know now and at first they acted really weird around me. Meds and therapy help, also finding my triggers help me cope. Any diagnosis is on a spectrum and no diagnosis is the same for any two people. Sending you lots of love and great thoughts for your creative space! ❤️
Thanks for sharing. I work in a boys school.. with lots of struggling teenager's and I honestly think he would be an amazing speaker for them to understand their feelings and that they're not alone!
I so appreciate your openness to share where you're at. My son was recently diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia. He doesn't like to talk about stuff. Listening to you has helped me to understand. Thank you.
I just want to first say thank you John for being so open and honest, I found you to be very smart and self aware. You have a very sweet soul and may god continue to bless you and surround you with people who love and cherish you.
Love you John ! And I appreciate you sharing about yourself with everyone who watches! The only way to understand is to listen and I thank you for allowing us to listen to you !
Checked your IG BTW- awesome art !!!
My best friend has schizophrenia and I see a lot of relations to John. I hope John knows that he is loved and that he isn’t alone. Almost lost my friend because he thought he was alone.
i don't think i am exaggerating at all but this channel is one of the most important ones on TH-cam let alone anything on Television. Keep it up. Great on the people coming on to share their lives.
Great interview! We all have “something” nothing to be ashamed of. Your an awesome person John. Thank you!
I Have This Disorder And Mania Ain't No Joke💯💔🙌🏽🙏🏾God Bless Us All
An amazing interview! John is so honest, brave and insightful.
Im only a few minutes into this yet YOU SEEM SO KIND AND FRIENDLY!
Let's be friends!
My thoughts exactly! He so sweet and kind! I would love to be friends with him irl:)
I have the same diagnosis. My first episode I was 17 in the middle of my junior year of high school. I'm thankful my family has taken care of me through all my episodes. Now I'm 21, also clean and sober 83 days today. Tons and tons of people don't understand the psychosis. At first I was like why me. But being on the right medication and being sober, I accepted it and pray for those still struggling
I'd like to get johns email
Similar story as you
Thanks SO Much for sharing!!!! You are helping hundreds of people who identify with exactly what you're going through. So important!!!
What a coincidence, I was just watching Daniel’s veteran days’ video on his channel
You’re super intelligent and helpful, the mental health community will appreciate this. I hope the best for you
Hello Chris (i assume you read the comments) i have been following this channel for a couple of years and i have to make you a compliment. Your emphatic, spontaneous and heartfelt way of interviewing is not only very interesting and touching to look at but i think is of great importance. It is mainly because of you that people who otherwise might not be really listened to, not being knowledge or perhaps not being taken really seriously, that those persons have a face and have a voice, they are not the man or woman (child) with this or that disorder but real individuals that just like the average person is in need of Acceptance Compassion and Love.Thanks to you there is more and more acceptance and awareness for people with disabilities and or disorders and every country in the world should have a person like you to advocate for them.
Have you ever considered to some kind of world tour where you gonna do the same kind of interviews but then with support of local tv networks? Stay healthy, save and happy
You are a very strong person. I enjoy listening to you talk. Intelligent and kind. I love you man. I want the best for you! Have a great day everyday!
he articulated himself so well, wouldnt be able to tell that he was nervous. thank you for sharing john. i wish you all the love and happiness in the world.
I think John seems like a great young man that has his struggles and he’s getting help. He is helping others, I’m sure of that. Thank you very much for sharing his story. I love this channel.
He's so handsome and articulate I wish we could be friends
Hi, John. Thank you for your lovely interview. I've been to some of those amazing manic places myself, and I've also dealt with the reality of managing a slower, sadder, darker world. I find joy in sharing my experiences and in just building morning, days, and nights that are fun and make sense to me. Joy to you! Whispers can be upsetting. I find that if I sleep less than 4 hours a night for too many consecutive nights, the whispers escalate into a strange sort of "awake" dreaming. It only lasts for seconds at a time, but it feels like paranoia and can lead to fear.
John, you are very articulate and good at describing your experiences! Thank you for giving us the chance to understand! Greetings from Norway
John, I appreciate you for sharing your experiences and being honest. ❤️
Watching your videos while in crisis mode is a helpful grounding tool.
As someone with cptsd mdd gad ocd who has psychiatric therapy twice weekly &multiple medications disruption in that safety net is indescribable. Today I got an email from my therapist whose father passed away over the weekend, and all appointments are canceled for the next two weeks. Currently trying to manage the overwhelming feelings of losing everything.
Thank you for sharing your story, it's something to be proud of. Muchlovealways
You've got a great personality, John. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I'm sure it's been so tough for you, but sending nothing but love your way 😊
You're absolutely NOT too much for everyone else and I'd totally be friends. He seems like a really kind and chill dude.
I really enjoyed the entire interview, but the part that really struck home for me on a personal level was about having violent intrusive thoughts. I have hardly ever even told anyone about my struggling with these myself, I always fear what they will think, I fear they will become afraid of me. I don't even think I have mentioned it to my current therapist or prescriber, I only mention the paranoia, it makes me feel sad that I have not been able to open up about this to people who I know and who are there for me in every other aspect, maybe they will be there for me still even if I tell them. Thank you so much for leaving that portion in the video, it really helps to not feel alone when I hear other people struggle with similar things.
Keep your head up John. 🙏🏼You got this brotha. 💪🏼🙌🏼 Day at a time.
Wow wow wow. This was such a great interview! What a kind and thoughtful young man! Thank you so much!
You matter ! You deserve the best ! And yes it’s neurotransmitters not connecting correctly, misfiring! Smart 🧠😎👍
You are an intelligent, insightful, caring person! Thank you for sharing. You are very, very wonderful.
John, thanks so much for helping me learn more about schizoaffective disorder, and therefore helping me better understand people who have the disorder. You sharing your story opened my eyes, and you have such a great way of speaking honestly and realistically about what you struggle with and what helps you. You've touched a lot of people with this episode, so thank you again!
I liked a lot how he said that those things aren t him because they disturb him and only if they didn’t it would have been a problem. it s so true and something to keep in mind
Thank you so much, John, for sharing your story. There is no doubt it will help a lot of people who is struggling in the same way to feel more confident and less lonely. It takes courage to speak so openly about your struggles without sugarcoating anything. It is something to be really proud of. And yes, you deserve all the love in the world.
My brother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder a few years ago, and this interview helped me understand him better and what he might be going through. Thank you for that, and wish you all the best! ♥
John I'm so happy you're able to tell your story and share with us about your life. You have been through so much yet your light shines through. Sending you hugs and best wishes from the UK x
Great video testimony. Thanks for sharing John. Have a great day! 💪⭐
I hope You are reading this ! Your '' Illness '' is nothing bad nor weak. Many People cant even tell what they feel. So i think of your condition as a Superpower to be Trained !
Dont give Up Brother ! Even i never met you, im sure You are a Awesome Person and it would be a Pleasure to meet you.
I relate deeply to most of this. John, you are not alone. Thank you so much for sharing.
For me the worst part is the paranoia of thinking that people hate me (especially loved ones), the isolation, and feeling absolutely incapable of communicating what is going on when things are unbearable. The anger for me is a major difficulty too, you said it PERFECTLY, it destroys everything, even if you don't do anything! And I still couldn't find a way to deal, express it, get it out of me, in a way that doesn't make everything worse. Also, because some things don't just depend on us, sometimes there is really no support and nothing is safe. Sometimes there is only our own prayers to try and make it to the next day somehow. You are very brave for talking about all of this. I don't think I could do it, I'd probably be too confused, my words don't come out right in real life when talking about hard things. Thank you so much to voice it all out!!!!!! I also believe there is hope despite of everything. Together there is always hope!
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm going through a bipolar depression and this really helped me get some emotion out. Upwards brother!
Much love to this strong young man. He is a legend for telling it like it is and he is absolutely going to help so many people.
This was one of the best interview on the chanel.all the best for John.
I’m doing my makeup and watching and when Chris said ‘I love you’ I about cried!
John thanks for sharing! Love you both. Keep on doing good
John, much love to you! I can relate to your description of intrusive thoughts so so much. It is a bit haunting how similar I experience this myself. I am on the bipolar side, combined with chronic depression. I struggle so much with these intrusive, negative those, often they are violent, too. It is really beautiful to see your interview and to experience you talking so openly about it. Thank you so much for this video. I wish you all the possible best!
I have all of these diagnostics so I truly understand and gone through all this keep doin your thing you'll be ok I'm behind you 110%
What a precious value & loving education you create John, through your generous, frank discussion and descriptions with Chris and with us. Kudos to you both for this interview--this permanent contribution--and for being you! Thanks to you, and to all SBSK past & future participants, for these continually invaluable, generous insights into the human condition.
🌿💚🌿
Stay strong... your a beautiful mind and soul... you can do it for sure!
What a kind gentle soul. John your very brave
You were incredible, Johnny. You spoke for all of us struggling with different levels of mental illness. For that, I thank you. It couldn't have been more beautifully expressed!!!🙏🏽💐
Another fascinating and important interview!
You are brave for doing this. I have struggled with depression since I was 12. Some days are better. Some days are worse. Worst part is some people saying "lmao you are just sad. Just get better"
(Just in case John’s reading through the comments😂)
What an insightful video! Your explanation of intrusive thoughts was a really helpful reminder. I have depression-this past year, I’ve gotten intrusive thoughts that have kept me up for a few nights at a time. It’s so IMPORTANT to vocalize those thoughts…nobody should have to go through that alone.
I’m just a stranger, but I just gotta say that I’m really proud of you (because mental health is a challenging journey), and I hope that you’re remembering to celebrate your day-to-day accomplishments!!😊
"I feel like I'm too much for everyone else"- you're not alone, buddy
I am so happy to hear you speak about your experience. You are so articulate and able to explain things so well. My dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the 1970s. He went through so much in his life and we, his family, went through it too. He felt so ashamed that he rarely talked about what it was like to actually have manic episodes. I have so much compassion for you. My dad was an amazing man with many gifts and talents and he really touched the lives of people who knew him. I think you need to know that you also are loved and valued by the people in your life and also now that you’ve shared your experience there will be many people all over the world who will be touched by what you’ve shared and show appreciation to you. Keep going!
I've also struggled with violent intrusive thoughts, and it's heart warming to hear you share the message that it's not you, and doesn't mean your a bad person thank you so much, and I wish you well on your journey!
What a lovely and insightful guy. He is able to describe his experiences in such a meaningful and clear way. Hi from Australia! I have mental disorders that require vigilance and ongoing management too. It’s not easy, but you are not alone. I wish you all the best and hope you find the community you need through this vid, after putting your story out there!
Hearing others who deal with this helps me so much I wanna cry. I love this channel it helps me when I'm dealing with what I deal with it.