Episode 9: From Pepe Silvia to Geshinka: the curious domains of psychosis

In this episode we explore the mainstream medical understanding of the domains of schizophrenia and psychosis. In the process we discuss a number of texts including Better Call Saul, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Black Swan and Joker. According to the Verywell Health website psychosis is a “symptom”, of which signs include: hallucinations, delusions, and agitation; and schizophrenia is a mental health “condition” that can cause psychosis. People living with schizophrenia can experience symptoms of psychosis but not all people experiencing psychosis have schizophrenia. The writers of the DSM-V suggest that schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders are defined by abnormalities in one or more of the following five domains: delusions; hallucinations; disorganised thinking; grossly disorganised or abnormal motor behaviour (including catatonia), and; negative symptoms. Please listen in as we try to wrap our heads around these five domains of schizophrenia. References DSM-V-TR (APA) Verywell Health Under the Silver Lake (2018) directed by David Robert Mitchell. Better Call Saul — here’s an example of Chuck McGill’s behaviour: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — the infamous Pepe Silvia scene. Black Swan (2010) directed by Darren Aronofsky Tchaikovsky — Swan Lake Disorganized Speech Schizophrenia Joker (2019) directed by Todd Philips Rethinking Madness by Paris Williams Links: Altered Mates Website Altered Mates Instagram Music for the show by Si Mulumby.