Frese Lecture speaker shared lived experience with schizophrenia and how to end stigma
Nathan Shuherk rose to prominence as a social media influencer by reviewing books. His takes on non-fiction books on a variety of subjects have helped him build an audience of over 310,000 followers. It has also given him a platform to share his experience living with schizophrenia and working to erase the stigma surrounding the mental illness.
Shuherk visited NEOMED to present the 2024 Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture.
Change in personality
Shuherk shared his journey from the time his personality began to change in high school. He became more and more withdrawn and began seeing a therapist and taking medication. Things escalated as he went off to college. He eventually learned about schizophrenia in an abnormal psychology course and it sounded all too familiar. Soon after that, Shuherk was diagnosed with schizophrenia as he attempted to navigate his life while completing his college degree.
He continued to withdraw, telling the audience that he would often walk in the woods by himself to drink alcohol and chain-smoke cigarettes.
“It was the only thing I could do to function,” Shuherk said.
Shuherk was able to graduate but had a hard time functioning. He cycled through several jobs, graduate programs and relationships as he further withdrew. He felt unable to focus, so much so that he found it impossible to even text a friend or read one of his favorite books.
“I spent all of my time watching TV and listening to music. I couldn’t really handle anything else. My whole life was waiting for new shows and movies to be released on Fridays so I would have something to consume until the next week,” he shared.
He eventually decided he needed a drastic change and began calling friends to ask for help. At first they would come over to watch television with him and help with laundry. Eventually, Shuherk began feeling more like himself. He started to read again based on advice from his therapist, who suggested reading 10 books within the next year.
He worked out a system to gauge his well-being based on his reading goal.
“If I read 20 pages or more, I knew I was doing OK. If it was zero pages, I knew I needed to call a friend to ask for help,” he recalled.
Becoming an advocate
It didn’t take long before he was exceeding his goal, eventually reading 100 books by the end of the year. This led to building his audience, which opened the door for him to become an advocate for those with schizophrenia. Like he did at the Frese Lecture, Shuherk shared his experiences with schizophrenia – including what helps him function, what questions to ask a therapist and, based on his experiences, what to expect in the health care system.
He advocated for more simplistic medical care where individuals are treated as a person, rather than a collection of symptoms. He also mentioned various injustices people with illnesses face, citing a very personal example of his own – Shuherk has yet to marry his partner of five years, as this would result in him losing vital disability benefits.
To learn more about Shuherk’s journey and book recommendations, follow him at @nathanshuherk and @schizophrenicreads on Instagram.
The Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture Series honors the late Fred Frese, Ph.D., and Penny Frese, Ph.D., by highlighting the experiences of individuals who have successfully navigated schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. The series also explores how loved ones can provide support and facilitate recovery in these situations.
Peg’s Foundation and the NEOMED Department of Psychiatry Coordinating Centers of Excellence support this lecture annually.