January 2014 - Bipolar Burble Blog

The Value of Rest in Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 29, 2014

I’ve been super stressed lately. I have so many deadlines and I’ve been working on so many projects and I have so many requests to process it’s unbelievable. And, in clear Natasha fashion, many of these things were left to the last minute due to time constraints (and admitted procrastination). Oh, and it was my birthday on Monday which I nary had a moment for.

On top of all that, I had a speaking engagement yesterday. This speaking engagement was for the Bipolar Disorder Society of British Columbia. I do many presentations for them but recently the presentation was changed at their request. No problem, but trying out this new material and fitting it into the existing timeline (which can already run long) was making me nervous. And, while usually I give this presentation to teens, this time I was giving it to teachers. This, too, was making me nervous. Teachers can be a bit critical – trust me.

Really, there was no reason to be nervous, but, secretly, I’m nervous before pretty much every speaking engagement. Luckily, no one ever knows this (except, of course, for you) but the nerves are there.

My “Normal” Bipolar Anxiety Plus Massive Stressors

So, you put my “normal” bipolar anxiety with the massive stress I was under, plus the nerves I was feeling and my anxiety was off the flipping charts.

And when things are like that, I know that one of two things will happen. The stress and anxiety will either make me hypomanic or depressed. In other words, massive stress will destabilize my mood. Period. Yes, I know it’s coming, and yes, I do it anyway. Just call me an overachiever (or masochistic).

Truehope/EMPowerplus Experience at Week Five

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 22, 2014

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a Truehope/EMPowerplus update. I had planned on more of them, initially, but when nothing major happened, I didn’t have much to report. I have come to some conclusions about my Truehope/EMPowerplus (what is Truehope/EMPowerplus) experience at five weeks, however, so I’ll share them below.

When it Comes to Mental Illness and Depression, Stigma Kills

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 16, 2014

The Bipolar Burble welcomes guest author Joshua R Beharry, a Vancouver, B.C., Canada-based mental health advocate.

I developed depression in silence.

I remember the months before I became severely depressed; it was the summer of 2009. Deadlines at work had me more stressed than usual and I was increasingly unhappy with my lack of social life. I noticed my thoughts becoming more erratic and desperate but I didn’t know what this meant or where it could lead. I was 22 years old.

When anyone asked how I was doing, I lied and said I was fine. I didn’t tell anyone I wasn’t sleeping well, that my appetite was down or that I felt weaker and more tired than normal.

I saw mental illness only as a label and I didn’t want to admit I may be having issues with my own mental health. I didn’t know enough about depression to see all the warning signs. I kept silent as my thoughts grew darker and I began to fantasize about ending my life.

Depression Overwhelmed Me

I remember the night I realized I could no longer hide my depressed thoughts. I lay in bed unable to fall asleep, my stomach cramped. I felt hot, sweaty and nauseous. It was one of the longest nights of my life.

Depression and Feeling Dead Inside

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 13, 2014

Depression is many things to many people. The common perception of depression is that you’re “just” really sad all the time, and while this is true for many who suffer depression, this is not a universal norm. Some people don’t feel sad, per se, they feel nothing; they feel dead inside.

Best Bipolar Blog Articles of 2013 on the Bipolar Burble

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 6, 2014

Over 70 articles were published here on the Bipolar Burble blog in 2013. Some were hits and some not so much. So today I’d like to look back at two top 5 lists: the most-read bipolar blog articles of 2013 and the most talked-about bipolar blog articles of 2013.

The Most-Read Bipolar Blog Articles of 2013

Here’s what you were reading on this bipolar blog that was written in 2013:

How a Person with Bipolar Thinks – this bipolar blog article went viral and contributed to the greatest number of pages views in a single day on the Bipolar Burble. If you haven’t read it yet, you might be the only one. This post outlines the quirky ways in which the bipolar brain thinks including obsession, anxiety, distraction, overreaction and other thought patterns.
Can You Treat Bipolar Disorder without Medication? – this bipolar blog post has been popular since it has been written both with direct visitors and by people searching for information on the topic. Here I outline some of the non-medication ways to treat bipolar depression and at the bottom of the article is a link to more information on non-medication ways to treat bipolar mania.

Natasha’s On Blog Talk Radio – this SUNDAY (plus one more)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 3, 2014

Hi all. I try not to overly promote my events on this bipolar blog so the Bipolar Burble blog can focus on content, but this time I thought a couple of things deserved a word: a speaking engagement you can all attend for free and an award that I’m a little proud of.

Natasha Tracy Speaking on Blog Talk Radio

So, this Sunday, January 5th at 4 PM PST (7 PM EST) I will be talking to MissADD. As she says:

Please join me this coming Sunday, January 5, 2014, as I welcome to the show Natasha Tracy.She is an award-winning writer and speaker from the Pacific Northwest. She specializes in writing about bipolar disorder, depression, pharmacology, and other mental health issues. Her expertise has been sought after by academics and reporters, she is to be featured in an upcoming documentary on bipolar disorder, and she has been a speaker at the National Council Mental Health and Addictions conference. She was named the second most influential online depression writer by Sharecare.com. Natasha and I will be discussing Bipolar disorder and ADHD. She will be talking about her own diagnosis with bipolar disorder, and how she has learned to embrace this, and approach it from a positive place. We will also be discussing tips for enlightening us to be able to understand what bipolar disorder is, and the best way to treat it. Natasha will also discuss Mindfulness, and how it has changed her life!

It’s going to be an informal conversation and I hope you’ll be part of it by calling in to (917) 889-7025.

Listen to the show here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/missadd/2014/01/06/bipolar-disorder-and-adhd

I’m really excited about it and I hope to hear the voices of some of you folks so we can “meet,” as it were.

Social HeathMakers in the Category Mental Health

It was recently announced that I’m the fourth most influential social HealthMaker according to Sharecare.com. You might remember that I made their list for the most influential in the category of depression, but now I’ve made it all the way to making changes mental health wide.

New Year’s Resolutions When Your Bipolar is Trying to Kill You

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 1, 2014

I recently posted an article at HealthyPlace where I recommended some New Year’s resolutions for people with bipolar disorder. These resolutions included: