Mental Margins: Schizoaffective Disorder
Mental Health Rewritten
When Tamika talks about becoming a mother, you can hear how it rewrote her sense of identity. But when her daughter Allegra was later diagnosed with severe depression and psychosis, that identity began to unravel—and reveal something much deeper. Behind the scenes of her family’s history was an untreated illness that had already shaped the shoreline: schizoaffective disorder. This episode dives into the space where psychosis meets mood disorder, where reality and emotion overlap in ways that can feel impossible to untangle.
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Mental Margins: When Mental Health Crashes Like a Car Accident
Mental Health Rewritten
In this Mental Margins segment, we share bonus content and confront a critical question with Jack Register from episode 106: Why do we treat mental health crises differently than physical ones? If someone has a diabetic episode behind the wheel, we rush in with the jaws of life, pull them from the wreckage, and never question their willpower. Yet when a person spirals into suicidality or psychosis, society often steps back—expecting them to “help themselves” before we decide they’re worth saving. This conversation dives into the systemic contradictions at the heart of mental health...
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Mental Margins: Director's Cut-Episode 106
Mental Health Rewritten
A breakdown of episode 106
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Suicide: Rewriting the Conversation Around Those Who Were Left Behind
Mental Health Rewritten
In this episode, we explore the aftermath of mental health crises through personal stories and expert insight. Featuring voices of Tamika Christy, Jack Register, and Ashley Holder, the discussion delves into grief after suicide loss, the challenges within mental health systems, and the emotional toll on caregivers and first responders. We also examine how trauma ripples through communities and the evolving ways we memorialize those we’ve lost online. Key Segments & Topics Grief and Suicide Loss: Author Tamika Christy shares her experience after losing a loved one to suicide,...
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Mental Margins: Before We Dive Back In
Mental Health Rewritten
In this special reflection, Dominic steps away from the usual storytelling format to speak directly with listeners. After the powerful response to Episode 105, where we shared Nia’s story, Dominic opens up about the impact that episode had on his own mental health—and why Mental Health Rewritten exists in the first place. He shares the outpouring of messages from listeners who connected deeply with Nia’s journey, and how those words of gratitude also brought a heavy reminder: that even in telling these stories, healing is not linear. The weight of these conversations can stir up personal...
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Mental Margins: Three A.M. in Mexico
Mental Health Rewritten
The call from the sheriff’s office. The Netflix notification from Baja. The 3 a.m. plea for a room. Each detail reads like a breadcrumb trail—fragile, almost surreal—marking the chaos of a loved one’s unraveling. What happens when systems meant to protect instead withhold? When family becomes both the lifeline and the witness to an impending collapse? This Mental Margin segment pulls us into that liminal space between presence and absence, where silence from a loved one becomes unbearable, and news delivered at the doorstep turns final. This preview sets the scene for our upcoming full...
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Mental Margins: Layers of Suicidality in the Hijacked Mind
Mental Health Rewritten
This Mental Margins bonus segment expands on Episode 105: Rewriting the Conversation Around Suicide. In the full episode, we heard Ashley-Lauren Elrod’s powerful story of surviving prolonged suicidal ideation. Here, Tina Aggarwal offers additional commentary that did not make it into the main release—breaking down the complex, overlapping forces that can drive someone toward a suicide attempt. Tina emphasizes a critical truth: suicidality is never the result of a single factor. Instead, it emerges from a combination of influences—mental illness, racial trauma, childhood sexual trauma,...
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Mental Margins: The Anchor in the Dark
Mental Health Rewritten
In this segement of Mental Margins, we share two perspectives on the hidden weight of high-functioning pain. First, trauma therapist Denise D. Moore shares a testimonial and reflects on dismantling the “strong Black woman” stereotype—reminding us that while not every story ends with a cure, every story can still carry meaning. Then, from Episode 105: Rewriting the Conversation Around Suicide, we check in with Nia—the friend who remembers every birthday, keeps the group chat alive, and always shows up for everyone else. From the outside, she’s the glue holding her circle...
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Mental Margins: Major Depressive Disorder
Mental Health Rewritten
In this week's Mental Margin, we step back from the noise and dig deep into Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)—not just as a diagnosis, but as a lived experience. With over 700,000 lives lost to suicide annually, understanding MDD isn't just clinical—it's critical. We explore how Major Depressive Disorder manifests beyond sadness: in executive dysfunction, in physical exhaustion, in a feeling of cognitive suffocation.
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Suicide: Rewriting the Conversation Around Suicide
Mental Health Rewritten
In this episode of Mental Health Rewritten, we tackle the subject of suicidal ideation with care, nuance, and urgency. Through a combination of real survivor stories, fictionalized scenes, clinical insight, and historical framing, host Dominic Lawson guides listeners through what it means to live on the edge of despair — and what it takes to survive it. We hear the stories of: Nia, a high-functioning professional whose emotional unraveling is invisible until it’s too late. Ashley-Lauren, a survivor navigating abuse, chronic illness, and a suicide attempt that ultimately catalyzed her...
info_outline**POST CREDIT CONTENT ALERT**
Welcome to Episode 2 of Mental Health Rewritten — “Pornography: Rewiring Reality”
In this powerful follow-up to our season premiere, we confront one of the most polarizing issues in modern mental health: pornography.
Through the dual narratives of Gio and Maddie, we navigate secrecy, shame, and compulsion — we dive into the psychological impact of porn consumption on young minds, relationships, and emotional development. We illustrate how digital intimacy can morph into emotional avoidance.
Featuring reflections inspired by Susan Sontag’s The Pornographic Imagination, data trends around economic stress and porn usage, and voices from clinical research, we explore:
How pornography functions as both escape and expression
Why compulsive consumption often begins in adolescence
The blurred boundaries between fantasy, shame, and mental distress
Economic stressors and their link to increased digital escapism
The humanity behind the industry — including the performers and producers
Societal silence around youth exposure and emotional education
From the Reagan-era Meese Commission to modern neuroscience, we examine the narratives, research, and myths shaping how we see pornography today — not to shame or glorify, but to understand it.
We share an unflinching yet compassionate exploration that reframes addiction, adolescence, and the hidden effects of unspoken behaviors. This is not just about screens — it's about the stories behind them.
Listen now and subscribe for upcoming episodes on suicide, race, and intergenerational trauma.
Reminder: Mental health struggles are real — and often silent. If you or someone you know needs support, reach out to a mental health professional.
Mental Health Rewritten, created by the OWLS Education Company, in collaboration with The Ummah Collective Group, is hosted, written, and produced by Dominic Lawson.
Executive Producers: Kenda Lawson and Dr. Whitney Howzell
Cover Art: Alexandria Eddings of Art Life Connections
Some music was provided by DJ Krate Digga of The Mighty Sound Champz Crew
This week's disclaimer provided by Al Pete, Founder of The MPN Network
Supporting Sources:
Sontag, Susan (1967). “The Pornographic Imagination.” – Analysis of pornography as reflective of cultural fears and desires johnshaplin.blogspot.comjohnshaplin.blogspot.com.
Dworkin, Andrea (1981). Pornography: Men Possessing Women. – Argues pornography is a form of violence/oppression against women researchgate.net.
Meese Commission Report on Pornography (1986) – Conclusions of harm; later criticism by academics for lack of rigorous evidence politico.compolitico.com.
Politico Magazine – Tim Alberta (2018), on Meese Commission’s flawed use of research and findings being unsupported politico.com.
CDC-Kaiser ACE Study – Findings on how ≥4 childhood adversities correlates with higher risk of substance use, mental illness, and sexual risk behaviors in adulthood mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.orgmydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org.
CDC – Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (2023) on ACEs: associations with early sexual initiation, teen pregnancy, etc. cdc.gov.
VA National Center for PTSD – DSM-5 PTSD Criterion A definition of trauma (death, serious injury, sexual violence exposure)ptsd.va.gov.
ICD-11 – WHO’s diagnostic criteria: trauma defined as extremely threatening or horrific events cambridge.org.
Pornhub Traffic Data (2020) – Documented 11–24% global increase in usage during COVID-19 lockdowns pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Financial Stress & Porn Study (2020) – Found porn site visits decreased when economic stress rose, suggesting not all downturns boost porn use pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Reuters – “Pornhub owner MindGeek sold to Canada’s ECP” (Mar 16, 2023) – Announcement of Ethical Capital Partners (Solomon Friedman) acquiring MindGeek reuters.comreuters.com.
New York Times – “The Children of Pornhub” (N. Kristof, Dec 2020) – Investigative piece exposing underage/non-consensual content monetized on Pornhub papers.ssrn.com.
Rolling Stone – “Racism in Porn Industry Under Scrutiny” (June 2020) – Report that Black performers are paid and hired less, citing Ana Foxxx, Lotus Lain, etc. instagram.comibtimes.com.
International Business Times – “Black Performers Reveal They’re Paid and Hired Less in Porn” (June 12, 2020) ibtimes.comibtimes.com.
Blavity News – “Adult Film Has Been No Exception (to Racism)” (June 24, 2020) – Overview of racist tropes and pay disparities in porn, with input from Black actresses blavity.comblavity.com.
Dazed Digital – “Porn actresses are dying – why?” (Feb 2018) – Discusses rash of young female performer deaths, highlighting lack of support, stigma, and financial insecurity in the industry dazeddigital.comdazeddigital.com.
Referenced Articles & Resources
The Tragic Story of Olivia Nova
The Guardian reported on the untimely death of adult film star Olivia Nova, shedding light on the mental health struggles, financial instability, and lack of healthcare access within the industry.
Read the article here.
The Children of Pornhub – New York Times
This 2020 exposé uncovered the presence of underage and non-consensual content on Pornhub, revealing systemic exploitation and regulatory failures in the adult industry.
Read the full report.
Racial Pay Disparities in Porn – Rolling Stone Feature
Black performers like Ana Foxxx and Lotus Lain have shared their experiences fighting for equal pay and dignity in an industry riddled with racial inequities.
Read the Rolling Stone article via Blavity.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
To learn more about trauma recovery techniques like EMDR, visit the EMDR International Association.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Quiz
Curious about how your early life may have shaped your mental health? Take a confidential ACE quiz through the Center for Youth Wellness at numberstory.org.
Your Brain on Porn
Explore the neuroscience behind compulsive porn consumption and its impact on mental well-being at yourbrainonporn.com.