Episode 01: Self-Stigma - When the Diagnosis Becomes the Prison

psychophobia* podcast · Apr 21, 2026 · 1h 27m · transcript

psychophobia* podcast

“Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be breakthrough.” — R.D. Laing

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What if the institutions designed to help us understand the human psyche are actually afraid of them? Hosted by Dr. Michael R. Montgomery, this podcast explores the uncomfortable questions. Together, we’ll examine how the mental health systems meant to heal us instead perpetuate cycles of dependency. Welcome to the psychophobia* Podcast.

Leah Giorgini has lived on both sides of the psychiatric system - as a patient diagnosed with psychosis in her teens, and as a clinician working inside…