Tardive Dyskinesia: A Personal Story for Caregivers and People Living with TD

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or simply ignored — leaving many people feeling isolated, frustrated, and afraid to speak up. In this episode, we share the deeply personal story of Sherland Peterson, a woman living with tardive dyskinesia, while exploring the physical, emotional, and social impact of this complex movement disorder. Whether you are living with TD yourself, caring for someone who is, or simply trying to better understand the realities of long-term mental health treatment, this episode offers insight, validation, and practical understanding. Our guest discusses what it was like to first notice the symptoms, the challenges of getting answers, and how TD affected confidence, relationships, communication, and daily life. Listeners will learn: the emotional toll of living with visible involuntary movements how psychiatric medication side effects can create complicated treatment decisions what caregivers and loved ones should know about supporting someone how stigma and shame can prevent people from seeking help If you’ve ever wondered what TD actually feels like beyond the clinical definition — or if you’re searching for hope, support, and real-world perspective — this episode delivers an authentic and compassionate look at life with TD.We would like to thank Teva Pharmaceuticals for providing educational support for this episode. “In my case, my mouth was so affected by TD (tardive dyskinesia), my jaw would quiver, my speech would be slurred.” ~Sherland Peterson Our guest, Sherland Peterson, is a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and has appeared in numerous podcasts, TV, and radio interviews in which she shares her mental health journey. Ms. Peterson attended Hunter College and City College of NYC. She has taught English at LaGuardia Community College, City College of NYC, and DeVry Institute in NYC. She has also served as a Schedule C in the Obama administration’s Administrative Conference of the US. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.