Exclusive: Taye Diggs Is Helping His Son See That 'Everyone's Journey Is Different' in Mental Health

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2 days ago

Taye Diggs is on a mission: to break the stigmas surrounding schizophrenia, for both his generation and the next.
For the actor, it's a cause with personal meaning. Diggs' younger sister, Christian, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her late 20s, and today, the siblings work with Bristol Myers Squibb on the 'Live Your PosSCZible' campaign to not only raise awareness about schizophrenia but also help create possibilities for those living with it.
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The pair co-hosted an LA talent event featuring the schizophrenia community, and Diggs says to SheKnows that he's excited for people to see how 'well-rounded, artistic, and multi-layered folks are who are diagnosed with schizophrenia.'
Per NIMH, schizophrenia is a serious mental condition that affects 2.4 million adults in the US alone. It can come with hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking that could heavily affect daily functioning. It can be impairing, but it doesn't have to define you — and that's what this sibling duo wants to remind everyone.
'It was a wonderful example of just how these folks are not letting the diagnosis define them. I saw these people on stage, and they were brilliant artists as opposed to people struggling and dealing with schizophrenia. I saw that side of them, that facet, and it was really eye-opening,' Diggs says. 'I'm grateful. I'm continuing to learn and my eyes continue to be open wider and wider as far as what life with these differences has in store.'
Is it any surprise to fans that during his chat with SheKnows, he answered each question so thoughtfully, pondering every word he uttered to make sure people truly felt what he was saying. Whether it was talking about what he learned through his sister's experiences, his own journey with mental health, or even talking about the lessons he's teaching his teen son, Diggs spoke about everything with such care.
His words are a reminder that we all need to be gentle with people, including ourselves.
Diggs spoke with SheKnows about mental health, parenting his biracial son, and what he wants people to know about the schizophrenia community.
When asked what he wished people knew more about the schizophrenia community, Diggs responds that he wants people to know 'that there is a community.' He says, 'Because I know when my sister was diagnosed, both my sister and I found ourselves feeling alone. It's very easy to fall back and kind of go inwards as opposed to being made aware that there are others out there who have similar struggles. I can see my sister just kind of relaxing, realizing, and being reminded that there are others out there who have similar situations. That's something that really counts.'
As you can imagine, Diggs and his sister also experienced the racial disparity in the schizophrenia community, and the mental health community at large. Per RTOR, Black American adults are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems, and more than 80 percent of Black Americans are very concerned about the stigma, discouraging them from seeking treatment.
When it comes to breaking the stigmas, Diggs' advice is simple: 'Just do the research!' He says, 'For me, it was just being exposed, having the courage to ignore my initial thoughts of pulling away.'
But he also wants people to know that it isn't easy. But luckily, 'it takes work, and it's another thing that people need to realize,' he says. 'It's not gonna be easy. I think that's part of life and I feel proud of my sister and myself because my whole family knows that we're in it… No matter how we or other people may think it should end, we're in there [and] that's what feels really good.'
Diggs himself has tough days when it comes to maintaining his mental health. 'That's an ongoing experience as well because a lot of times, I will convince myself that I am okay but then my body will just shut down. So it's something that I'm still kind of learning. Meditating helps, breathing helps. Creating boundaries and setting yourself up to succeed, whatever that is. It's kind of forcing yourself to check in, but then also being patient with yourself.'
While he's teaching himself better practices every day, he's doing the same with his teen son, Walker Nathaniel, whom Diggs shares with ex Idina Menzel. Being a teen in 2025 isn't easy, but Diggs is helping his son along the way, including explaining schizophrenia and other mental health conditions.
'I'm here, just exposing him,' he says. 'I tell him what's going on and how it goes down, how everything goes down, what my sister is feeling, and how she felt. Just giving him the blow-by-blow as I experience it, just so I can dispel any images that he may have seen on television or whatnot. And also making sure that he knows that everybody's situation is different. I think it can be easy to be exposed to one kind of specific idea and then think that everything else following that is the same, and that's not the case.'
The Private Practice alum added, 'He's a teen, so I can only I can only say so much to him before I get my cool card revoked. Just letting him know that everybody's different and to not make assumptions, just listen to people, and try to be as supportive as possible before passing judgment.'
Along with helping him navigate mental health, Diggs is also working hard to make sure Walker feels seen, protected, and empowered. Diggs reflected that with most things in parenting, it's 'an everyday experience.'
'This is one thing that I'm sure about: the moment I think I have it figured out, I know I don't. So I do my best to kind of be in the moment and trust my experiences. I just gotta live with what happens afterwards where we're all doing the best we can. The way I was raised and the situation and the issues that that I had to deal with are completely different for him,' he explains. 'He's biracial. So already, he's coming into the game with different kind of different rules. But he's also a different person than I am, he's built differently.'
What does he mean by differently? Well, Digg explains, 'He's far more confident. I went through a nerdy awkward stage, and he's just mister cool dude. I'm dealing with him as he did and doing the best to kind of long listen as opposed to teach and listen. But if there are moments when I can kind of use my experiences to help, I try and I think most importantly, it's just the support, love, and attention.'
To fellow parents of teens, Diggs recommends being 'patient with themselves and to be patient with your kid.'
Say it louder for the people in the back!
When it comes down to it, kids need love, support, attention, and, as Diggs says, both parents and teens need another attribute for a happy home. He says to fellow parents of teens that they need to be 'patient with themselves and to be patient with your kid.'
'There are times when you try to be in the moment and every situation is different, but make sure that the child knows you're there… There are certain times when teens need to be kind of coaxed and then other times when you say, 'Okay. When you wanna say something, I'm here,'' he says. 'I think it's important that they know that you're there to support them, no matter what.'
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