Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Cohen Miles-Rath: How One Man Transformed Crisis into a Call for Change
Thu, 22 May 2025
Send us a textCohen Miles-Rath shares his powerful journey from psychosis and incarceration to becoming a mental health advocate and author. His story reveals how proper support systems and personal determination transformed a life-altering crisis into a mission of education and advocacy that's changing how we approach mental health treatment.• Surviving untreated schizoaffective disorder that led to a psychotic episode and incarceration• Using the four dimensions of recovery—purpose, home, health, and community—to rebuild life• Transitioning from jail to graduate school within a year through structured support• Working with Mental Health Association in New York State and the Suicide Prevention Center• Writing memoir "Mending Reality" to share experiences and reduce stigma around psychosis• Speaking publicly to create understanding and empathy for serious mental illness• Advocating for better interventions before people reach crisis points• Emphasizing the distinction between general mental health challenges and mental illness• Building communities where recovery becomes not just possible but probable• Using personal vulnerability to help others develop empathy for those experiencing mental illnessIf you know anyone who would like to tell their story, send them to TonyMantor.com and they may become a guest on Why Not Me? The World.https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
Chapter 1: What is the purpose of the Why Not Me? The World Podcast?
Welcome to Why Not Me? The World Podcast, hosted by Tony Mantor. Broadcasting from Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as our guests tell us their stories. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. real-life people who will inspire and show that you are not alone in this world.
Chapter 2: Who is Cohen Miles-Rath and what is his journey?
Hopefully, you gain more awareness, acceptance, and a better understanding for autism around the world. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Why Not Meet the World? Humanity Over Handcuffs, the Silent Crisis special event. Joining us today is Cohen Miles-Rath, a powerful voice in mental health advocacy. Cohen's journey is one of resilience.
After battling untreated schizoaffective disorder, he survives a life-altering psychotic episode that nearly ended in tragedy and led to his incarceration. Today, he's an author, speaker, and educator, sharing his story to break the stigma around mental illness.
With a focus on community, policy, and political action, Cohen facilitates mental health training and influences change, inspiring others with his message of recovery and hope. He's a beacon for those that are navigating their own struggles. It's a pleasure to have him here today. Thanks for coming on.
Yeah, I appreciate you having me.
It's my pleasure. Would you give us a little background on what you do?
I have been in the mental health advocacy field for more than a half a decade now. I worked at the Mental Health Association in New York State for five years. If you're familiar with the MHA Network on Mental Health America, they're an affiliate of theirs. And it was work around policy advocacy, implementing training throughout New York State, mental health-related training.
We offered a bunch of different trainings and so forth. In the past year, I moved on to the New York State Office of Mental Health, which I work for the Suicide Prevention Center, in which I do similar work, but geared towards suicide prevention. That's my professional space.
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Chapter 3: What was the turning point in Cohen's mental health journey?
Now, I also have my own story with mental illness in which I've written a memoir about and I am publishing that memoir this year. I've spent about six years trying to get this thing published. And on top of that, I've been out doing speaking engagements, telling my story, sharing the peer perspective about going through systems such as incarceration and hospitalizations and so forth.
I think that's great you've written a book. Anything you put out there just helps others. Can you give us a little bit of background on what led you to believe that you had some mental health issues?
Yeah, so that's a great question because I did not have any inclination to accept anything the difficulties that I was facing with my mental health, which did increase to a severe mental health crisis until after the worst of my mental health crisis had happened. And that was the day that I came back from psychosis in jail, where I had come back to reality and realizing what had happened.
From that moment on, I did a complete 180, embracing mental health treatments, accepting my mental illness, and eventually getting to where I'm at today.
Once you got out, what was your focus to get you back on track, a steady path from what you were to what you became today?
Due to the incidents that had happened between my father and I that I was arrested for, my first week in jail, I was in like a severe state of psychosis. I was in solitary confinement. And I'd experienced just this horrific situation in which When I did come back and realized what had happened, I wasn't sure I was ever going to get out. I had two felonies, potential felonies.
And fortunately, due to a lot of certain circumstances, the court recognized what had happened was clearly a result of a severe mental illness. And I'd been hospitalized twice before this too, so there was a little bit of history and past to that, in which I was able to get out of jail after 30 days. I had mandatory treatments. I was on probation for a year. It was a conditional discharge.
So it wasn't just I'm getting out. That's it. There were certain things that I had to do to maintain my freedom or everything could come back. And one felony was dropped. The other felony was reduced down to a misdemeanor. I did get that on my record.
So during that process, it took you about a year to get fully on track. Were there any down days? Did you ever have moments where you thought, what am I doing? Or is this even working? What was your mindset like as you progressed from point A to point B to where you are now?
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Chapter 4: How did Cohen rebuild his life after incarceration?
A lot of that I had to do as part of my conditional discharge process. In that space, I was very vulnerable and I was very active in wanting to know how to manage my mental health and my diagnosis a lot better than I was before. So health home was taken care of. The community aspect, I still had a lot of friends.
I was in a community of support too that really, I think, supported me in getting through that process. And then lastly, purpose. Before I went to jail, I was going to college, a four-year degree at SUNY Geneseo, which is a small university in upstate New York. I was expelled after what happened when I got arrested.
I was able to get back in after I got out of jail, and there I was able to finish out my degree. I had a couple classes left. I was able to get my degree and a plan for the future, which was to pursue my master's degree in social work. So I had a purpose to my life that really helped me go from jail to grad school within a year or so, something like that.
That's impressive. You should really be proud of your accomplishments. You got through and managed to accomplish what you started out to do. Now, after navigating all of that, what inspired you to pursue social work and dedicate yourself to helping others?
It was a very tough time in my life. There were days because I'd have to walk a mile to Burger King to work. I was also taking medication and some of the side effects of the medication included feeling draggy and slow and like my creative thinking was gone. It's really tough. It was a really tough time because there were a lot of times I doubted myself.
And even when trying to get pursue a master's degree in social work, I had a huge stigma over my experience that I went through. I'd attacked my dad with a knife and that was in the local news, like when the incident happened. And that created barriers for me worrying about getting accepted in the grad school. Every grad school asked, have you ever been expelled from college? I had to say yes.
And then I had to share my story in a way that would get them to understand. There was a lot of doubt. And I like to think that I was really privileged to have all those four dimensions and really strengthen those four dimensions really helped me just keep that forward momentum going. I will also add that prior to all of this, I was also a big athlete all my life. I was a very
very dedicated distance runner. And a lot of those characteristics that I've learned in that sport, I think helped me to do the same in this process where you have to do a lot of hard work to get where you want to get and to be your idea of success with whatever it is.
Yeah, that's true. Success is basically what you are happy doing and continue to do. So what led you to shift your career focus from becoming a substance use counselor or therapist in social work and transitioning to advocacy? How did your graduate school experience influence this decision?
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Chapter 5: What are the four dimensions of recovery?
And I realized in my studies there that that's just how my mind went, how my mind thinks. So that's when I really wanted to be more involved with the advocacy piece. And then it was all about just finding a position after grad school that could align with that.
And I know that with my story, with my experience, I always knew that I wanted to bring that into the picture because what I learned is that stories can really make an impact. When people hear these types of experiences, it allows them to relate and understand another person's point of view with it.
And I think that helps to fuel more effective advocacy and more effective ideas and how there are certain things that we can change in our systems, our culture to better serve people who might go through those type of experiences as well.
Looking back on your journey, now that you're an advocate, you've experienced all the ups and downs that come with it. Was there a single moment that stood out, a turning point that lit the way forward? Something that reassured you that things were falling into place, confirmed you were on the right path, and then fueled your ambition or ability to create even more?
The first time that I wrote about my experience, the first time that I was vulnerable in that public space was actually in my second year of grad school. When I had done that, I wrote a blog post for NAMI, National Alliance of Mental Illness.
And that really, I think, based on people's responses and how people would come up to me afterwards and be vulnerable about themselves, to me, that was like, okay, there's something wrong. to that. There was something to me being vulnerable in a public space that could help others. And that was a spark.
Once I got in my professional position, I got my eight dimensions of wellness all structured, my financial wellness, I'm living comfortably. I can now open up my experience in a much more versatile way. And that's when I started writing my memoir and putting my heart and soul into that so I could really leap forward with it.
That's really good. I'm glad that you've been able to do that. Can you give us the name of your book?
Yes, it's A Mending Reality, An Advocate's Existential Journey with Mental Health.
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Chapter 6: What inspired Cohen to pursue social work and advocacy?
somehow found a way to overcome and get to the position where it's actually going to be released and i will say that i'm not terrified a lot of people have read this book but not the general public so it does get a lot of reads i'm not worried or stressed about how people might react to it because the way that i've written it i really think can impact people significantly and make them understand that type of experience a lot further
You do a lot of public speaking, and you just mentioned that you feel comfortable sharing your experiences with others. What's it like to tell your story to a captive audience, what goes through your mind as you speak, and then afterwards, when people come up to you, eager to learn more because your words have touched them in a way that could help them move forward in their own lives?
How does that make you feel?
That's the most meaningful part of doing my work with this. Last year, about a year ago, stood before 200 plus mental health advocates at an advocacy day up in Albany. I had 10 minutes to share my story in a way that captivated them and inspired them to advocate right there. The way I structure my speaking, I try to make it gripping and pull you in.
The first sentence I say is, when I was 22 years old, facing a mental health crisis, I tried to kill my dad. And I remember when I say that, the audience, you see those gasps, you see those eyes widen, and then it's a hook that pulls them in. Then I take it apart, right? And I'm like, what could have prevented this? And they're seeing me at the stage.
They're seeing someone who's done that in front of them. And I think that in itself is, wow. There's a lot more to this story. There's so much more to the story. I did have many students come up to me after that talk, just thank me for being vulnerable and appreciating me doing that because the advocacy day is really meant to provide a space for that.
And when eventually during the day they go out and they allow students to grab the mic and share their own story, I could hear them. sharing their difficulties and their challenges. And I do like to think that by me doing that, created a space for them to do that themselves.
And I think that just helps to fuel this momentum around changing how we approach mental health in circumstances that are very difficult.
Do you still engage with or advocate for changes in the legal system? If you do, how do you approach it? What personal experiences or perspectives drive your stance so this can be a better system for everyone involved?
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Chapter 7: How did writing his memoir affect Cohen's healing process?
I'm using my expertise that I've learned in mental health advocacy in my story throughout the time so that way it's not just, oh, this was just my experience, but there is research and knowledge behind all of this that I use to show how there were so many opportunities prior to that incident in which I could have gotten the help or my help could have been more effective.
to where the incident could have been prevented and it did not have to get to that crisis point for me to finally accept my mental illness. And I hope that when people hear that, they're like, they're thinking like, oh, I could do something now if I'm struggling. I could help someone else who I know is struggling so that way helping them could get more effective.
So they're never at that potential crisis point or even like getting to a point where they're just really struggling and no one is willing to help.
Yeah, I think that's a great message to put out there for everyone. I think you've got it right there. I've spoken with several people who've faced challenges lasting anywhere from a year to 10 years. While the duration varies for everyone, a common thread stands out. There's hope.
On the other side of that journey, you can address your struggles, refine your approach, create a plan to improve things. Each person I talked to, even when they were at their lowest, when others looked at them and thought they were finished, incapable of bouncing back, they refused to give up. They pushed through, survived, and now they're thriving.
So the real question is, how do we overcome the stigma? How do we help people see that, yes, mental health carries a certain stigma, but it doesn't have to be purely negative? How do we highlight the positive that once people navigate their challenges, they can emerge stronger and show the world what they've overcome?
I always say that recovery is not just possible, but probable in the right circumstances. We, as family, as friends, as coworkers, as parents, as just people in the community, we have that opportunity and space to help create those circumstances in which people are more likely to get the help they need. And that, to me, speaks to that good side of this conversation and this hopeful aspect to it.
Yes, we can dive into specific policies that might change certain aspects in the systems that would help improve. But that's one piece of this. There's so much more to just how our network, our social network and our communities and our interpersonal relationships and even ourselves can do to start making that change within and be in better positions where people,
If we're ever in a position of facing a mental health challenge or even experiencing mental illness, we're better positioned to manage it and to change it and to support it. So, like, I know a big component for me, and I'm interested in people you've also talked to. Like, there's a big responsibility on my own.
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Chapter 8: What does it feel like for Cohen to share his story publicly?
You just mentioned something that I think is important to talk about. Some people don't have the touch of empathy. And since they haven't walked your path, they don't fully get it. Without meaning to, they say things that sting, not seeing the weight of their words. You've been through it, you've lived it, and now you're moving forward.
You've changed, evolved, you're not the same person you were. How do you deal with those who, in their ignorance, can't see the depth of what you faced?
Mm-hmm. Initially, the first time that I'd felt significant shame due to my situation was after I'd gotten out of jail. And I went on the Facebook and I looked at the comments on the news articles about me. My mugshot plastered everywhere. Words saying, son bites his father's ear off. The comments, they were making jokes. They were making jokes about Mike Tyson. They were just brutal.
I remember reading those. And I remember... I felt the shame, but also at the same time, I was like, okay, these people, I don't know these people. They're strangers to me. They don't know anything about what had happened. And I just knew that. And I was like, I, so I wasn't like significantly bothered because I was like, I'm still here and I'm going to prove them wrong.
And that probably helped fuel my whole path to in some aspect is that I wanted to show them and I wanted to tell them like, okay, there's so much more to this. And it wasn't just the public who had also shamed me. I heard rumors from people in college, my friends. So there's always been a level of uncertainty with people's comfortableness with me and willingness to do that.
But ever since I've gotten to the point where I am and I'm trying to be more active on social media and everything that I've done so far, like I can see the cognitive shift in people that I've interacted with throughout the years that
I could tell that they built empathy for me and that level of empathy has increased because I've been able to show my perspective, reveal it, and I've been very active with it, which not everyone does and that's okay.
But hopefully if they can have empathy for my incident, maybe when they see something in the news about another incident or something else that happens and they don't know enough about it, maybe they'll have more empathy for that too.
That's a great point. Well, this has been really good, great information, great conversation. I really appreciate you taking the time to come on.
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