Cohen Miles-Rath (on psychosis and recovery)

Episode overview

Cohen Miles-Rath (Mending Reality: An Advocate’s Existential Journey with Mental Health) is a mental health advocate, author, and suicide prevention professional. Cohen joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up between two wildly different households in upstate New York, finding his footing as a distance runner while becoming the first in his family to go to college, and how injuries and pressure began to unravel his sense of self. Cohen and Dax talk about the psychotic break that led him to try to kill his father, the role weed and sleeplessness played in his crisis, and the unconditional love that helped him rebuild his life after jail. Cohen explains what hallucinations and delusions feel like from the inside, why recovery requires daily vigilance and a strong support system, and how sharing his story helps reduce stigma around severe mental illness.

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Short transcript highlights

These brief excerpts are navigation aids selected from different points in the transcript.

1. 0:16This is one of the most interesting episodes we've ever had.
2. 52:21over your head. So it's like, you're dealing with that reality. But then even, I think probably worse than that,
3. 2:06:20Psychotic symptoms can affect anyone and frequently appear during late adolescence or early