Tag: blog

How to Keep a Bipolar Blog Running During the Depressed Times

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 30, 2013

Note: For this post I used Grammarly’s grammar correction feature because writing without good grammar is like skydiving without a parachute: you don’t need good grammar to be hired as a writer; you need good grammar to be hired as a writer twice.

I’m a bipolar writer. This is not news to anyone. As a person with bipolar disorder, I naturally have good days and bad days. Specifically, I naturally have average days and horrifically depressed days. And it impresses people that the Bipolar Burble blog manages to stay running through it all. Every week I get one or two posts up no matter what.

So people have asked me, how the heck do you do that? How do you keep a (popular) bipolar blog going through the depressed times?

Guest Writing at the Bipolar Burble Blog

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 24, 2012

Hi all.

I’ve been getting a lot of requests to guest write at the Bipolar Burble. Well, it’s nice to know I’m so popular! I’m really happy to hear from you but there are guidelines if you want to be published here. These aren’t meant to scare anyone off, these are just to let you know what I’m expecting.

Here are some guidelines for posting on the Bipolar Burble.

What I’m Looking for on the Bipolar Burble

I really want to hear other people’s opinions and experiences so I would like to see:

Other people’s experiences in mental health. This might be as a person with a mental illness or as a loved one of a person with a mental illness. (No, it doesn’t have to be regarding bipolar disorder.)
Opinion pieces on mental health subjects. You don’t have to agree with me, but if you make a convincing argument, I might just post it.

The Best Thing About Being a Mental Health Writer

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 17, 2012

I’m a mental health writer. When I tell people I’m a mental health writer, however, the most common response I get is, “what’s that?”

Well, like a travel writer writes about travel, I write about mental health. Perhaps my type is not as common as a travel writer, but mental health writers are out there, nonetheless.

And, I have to say, it’s not easy being a mental health writer. It means talking about unpleasant subjects on a daily basis and facing parts of yourself that you’d probably prefer to gloss over. And it means forming an opinion, standing up and standing by that opinion even when it’s very unpopular. (At least, that’s what being a mental health writer means to me.)

And making a living is hard and there are no vacations, no weekends and no sick days.

The Best Thing about Being a Mental Health Writer

But. There are big bonuses.

No One Reads My Blog! – 10 Tips to Have a Popular Blog

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 4, 2012

I started the Bipolar Burble eight years ago anonymously. And for the vast majority of that time, no one read my blog. Oh, sure, I had a few avid readers and a person would stumble on it now and then, but even after I started producing decent content, no one read it.

Which initially was OK by me. I didn’t write for others, I wrote for myself, so if I had one, lonely reader, then that was fine, I still felt the urge to push pixels around.

Until, of course, it wasn’t fine. Then I had to figure out why no one read me and figure out how to actually get people out there to know about me. And so people ask me all the time: How do I get people to read my blog? How do I find an audience?

Breaking Bipolar Reading Round-Up

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Dec 23, 2011

Happy holidays all.

I’m a pretty busy gal right now, so not a lot of time to write new material. I promise I’ll try to get to something new next week.

However, while you’re waiting, have you caught up on all your Breaking Bipolar articles? No? I didn’t think so. Here’s a run-down on some of what I’ve been doing over at HealthyPlace:

Last Minute Holiday Tips for the Bipolar – just published today. Here are four things you should know before you get any deeper into the holidays.
What 2011 Taught us About Mental Illness – a wrap-up of the top ten things research taught us about mental illness last year including: bipolar misdiagnosis, bipolar treatment success predictor, mania treatment comparison and antipsychotic information. Part one and part two.
You’re Narcissistic! Getting Over Insults – How one reader got to me even though I knew they shouldn’t have.
Celebrating Mental Health News – on why we should celebrate the good moments in mental illness.
How to Choose a Good Psychiatrist – one I’ve touched on here but in more detail.
Bipolar Disorder Thought Types – have you ever considered the odd types of thoughts you have a person with a mental illness? I have.
The Importance of Self-Care in Bipolar Disorder – tips on self-care plus a video.
Sexual Health and Bipolar Disorder – the sexual concerns of people with mental illness.

Bipolar Blog Feedback – Update

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 24, 2011

Hi all.

You might recall, I’m taking part in a reader engagement and feedback program through WEGO Health.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to give me your opinion, but there’s more to do. Only about half of the people who have clicked on the survey have filled it out. We can do better than that!

So, Please Take One Minute to Fill Out This Survey

The goal is to find out more about you, my reader.

The more information I can gather, the better this blog can be for you because I want this to be a place that you find useful and engaging.

: Click Me!

Hate something? Love something?

That’s what I want to know.

A Bribe

Two of you will be the first to receive my new ebook – for free!

Please take 60 seconds and fill out the survey. I appreciate it.

– Natasha Tracy

PS: And not to worry, this is the last nag article :)

Bipolar Burble Feedback – Help Me Make this Blog Better!

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 15, 2011

You might have notice I’ve been soliciting more reader feedback lately. This is for two reasons:

I want readers to fully-engage with the site.
I want to provide you with information you find useful and helpful.

Because without those two things, this site turns into me just talking to myself, and well, I do that a lot already. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about readers it’s that they surprise you. Actually asking you what you want is infinitely better than me guessing.

Thanks to My Readers

I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts with me. You’ve provided me with great topics to write about, and of course, your questions inspired the posts on mood tracking and the series on mixed moods in bipolar disorder, which is currently underway.

60-Second Feedback

Today I’m launching a 60-second survey to get a bit more information about you. This survey is completely optional, but I would appreciate one minute of your time so I can learn a bit more about you.

I’m running this survey through a site called WEGO Health. WEGO Health focuses on finding people who are leaders in health communities. These are people who:

Engage on health topics
Answer questions
Ask questions
Share information on health topics

Basically, they’re looking for many of you. I know many readers here fit their profile and would possibly benefit from their services.

Um, What Kind of Services

WEGO Health runs webinars, chats and whatnot on health topics. You never have to attend if you don’t want to.

I Don’t Want to Sign Up for Services

That’s perfectly fine. There’s a checkbox at the bottom of the survey that will opt you out of all emails.

Your Feedback Will Be Anonymous

One of the good things about running it through a third party is you’ll be anonymous to me so you can be completely honest. If there are things you don’t like here, it’s OK – be honest about them.

What You Will Get

By taking this survey you will get customized social media tips provided by WEGO Health.

And as a bonus, two lucky survey responders will receive my new ebook, currently in production: Electroconvulsive Therapy – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go Under the Electrode (it’s a working title, I know, inflammatory).

Go Answer the Survey

OK, go spend 60-seconds for me. I appreciate it.

(Note: I have no direct or financial ties to WEGO Health. If anyone has any questions about the survey, feel free to leave a comment here or contact me directly.)

Ask a Bipolar – What Mental Health Topics Are You Interested In?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 22, 2011

If you’ve been around for the last couple of weeks either at the Burble or at Breaking Bipolar, you know it’s been pretty much all suicide all the time. And there will probably be more to come on suicide as it’s an awfully big topic.