Dale Walsh — Schizophrenia, Stigma, and the Long Road to Clarity
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this deeply honest and unconventional conversation, we sit down with Dale Walsh—poet, mentor, and mental health advocate—who shares his lived experience with schizophrenia spanning nearly five decades.
Dale's journey began in the summer of 1975, when a psychotic break during his freshman year at Dartmouth College led to involuntary hospitalization and a diagnosis that would shape much of his adult life. What followed were years inside psychiatric institutions, long-term stigma, and a mental health system that, at the time, offered little hope for recovery.
In this episode, Dale speaks candidly about:
The culture of psychiatry in the 1970s and how it framed schizophrenia as incurable
The lasting impact of being told he had "broken his brain"
Anosognosia—why many people with mental illness don't believe they're ill
The language gap between those with mental illness and those without
Cannabis, personal agency, and controversial paths to self-regulation
Creativity, poetry, and meaning-making as survival tools
What it means to finally release a lifelong delusion and reclaim identity
Today, Dale is living independently, writing poetry, and mentoring family caregivers of people with schizophrenia, helping them move out of burnout and codependency and into resilience, self-worth, and compassionate understanding.
This episode challenges conventional narratives around mental illness and recovery—and offers a powerful reminder that healing is not linear, fast, or one-size-fits-all.
🌱 About the Guest: Dale Walsh Dale Walsh is a poet, mental health advocate, and mentor for family caregivers of individuals living with schizophrenia. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Dale focuses on educating caregivers while helping them rebuild self-esteem, emotional resilience, and healthy boundaries.
🔗 Connect with Dale Website: https://www.dewlivelove.net
Schedule a Session (Calendly): https://www.calendly.com/dalecoach55
✨ Call to Action If this conversation resonated with you, we invite you to explore more stories like this at
👉 https://www.WalkWithMeConversations.com
You'll find podcast episodes, reflections, and resources centered on healing, resilience, and the shared human experience.
🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help these stories reach the people who need them most.
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In this deeply honest and unconventional conversation, we sit down with Dale Walsh—poet, mentor, and mental health advocate—who shares his lived experience with schizophrenia spanning nearly five decades. Dale's journey began in the summer of 1975, when a psychotic break during his freshman year at Dartmouth College led to involuntary hospitalization and a diagnosis that would shape much of his adult life. What followed were years inside psychiatric institutions, long-term stigma, and a mental health system that, at the time, offered little hope for recovery. In this episode, Dale speaks candidly about: The culture of psychiatry in the 1970s and how it framed schizophrenia as incurable The lasting impact of being told he had "broken his brain" Anosognosia—why many people with mental illness don't believe they're ill The language gap between those with mental illness and those without Cannabis, personal agency, and controversial paths to self-regulation Creativity, poetry, and meaning-making as survival tools What it means to finally release a lifelong delusion and reclaim identity Today, Dale is living independently, writing poetry, and mentoring family caregivers of people with schizophrenia, helping them move out of burnout and codependency and into resilience, self-worth, and compassionate understanding. This episode challenges conventional narratives around mental illness and recovery—and offers a powerful reminder that healing is not linear, fast, or one-size-fits-all. 🌱 About the Guest: Dale Walsh Dale Walsh is a poet, mental health advocate, and mentor for family caregivers of individuals living with schizophrenia. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Dale focuses on educating caregivers while helping them rebuild self-esteem, emotional resilience, and healthy boundaries. 🔗 Connect with Dale Website: https://www.dewlivelove.net Schedule a Session (Calendly): https://www.calendly.com/dalecoach55 ✨ Call to Action If this conversation resonated with you, we invite you to explore more stories like this at 👉 https://www.WalkWithMeConversations.com You'll find podcast episodes, reflections, and resources centered on healing, resilience, and the shared human experience. 🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help these stories reach the people who need them most.