Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Recovery, Wellbeing & Leadership | #7

On this episode of the podcast, Jesse Bigelow talks about his experience growing up and how a relatively ‘normal’ upbringing could never have prepared him for the onslaught of mental illness and the development of schizophrenia. He describes the onset of his symptoms and how he went about getting help and how much he learned through the process of recovery.

Jesse discusses what it is like to hear voices, how hallucinations work for people living with schizophrenia. What he went through to discover recovery and how he lives such a meaningful and fulfilling life. Jesse works as a peer support specialist for an inner city health program in Toronto. He is a recipient of the Transforming Lives award from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, he was the first peer support worker hired by the Canadian Mental Health Association York Region and he continues to be a wonderful role model for many people on their recovery journey. Jesse is a truly inspiring human being and is a legend in the peer support and consumer survivor community in Toronto.

You can see Jesse’s bio here