Bipolar blog Archives - Page 13 of 81 - Bipolar Burble Blog

You Don’t Need Bad Times to Appreciate the Good

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 1, 2020

I hate it when people say you need bad times to appreciate the good times. You need darkness to appreciate the light. You need the pain to appreciate the pleasure. This is such nonsense. I have had more bad, dark and painful times than anyone I know and believe me, I don’t feel the need for them — not now and not in the future. I appreciate good things. I am grateful for the light. I yearn for pleasure. But all the bad times didn’t make me appreciate the good times, I’m quite capable of doing that on my own.

Reduce Anxiety by Feeling More In-Control in Spite of COVID-19

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 20, 2020

I know everything feels out-of-control right now and this increases anxiety. Watch this video for ideas on how to regain your feelings of control to reduce your anxiety

The Uninvisible Podcast Interviews Natasha Tracy

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 26, 2020

The Uninvisible Podcast recently interviewed me, Natasha Tracy, and, honestly, I’m honored. Lauren Freedman, the host of The Uninvisible Podcast, gave me a chance to talk about what it’s really like to live with bipolar disorder and my personal history battling with the treatment of bipolar disorder, and, quite frankly, I made her laugh out loud. We taped the podcast at the HLTH Conference, where we both received WEGO Health Awards. If you’d like to know more about my personal story and what made our sound tech sit up in rapt attention, this podcast is for you.

Patient-Blaming in Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 17, 2020

Recently I talked to a doctor who reminded me that patient-blaming in mental illness is alive and thriving. For those of you not familiar, patient-blaming is when you, the person with mental illness, the patient, are blamed for the lack of treatment success. Unfortunately, this idea is actually baked into medicine’s nomenclature. People say things like, “I failed that medication,” or even, “I failed chemotherapy.” People know the intended meaning, of course, they mean that those treatments failed to make those people better. But the idea that language even exists in medicine really sets the stage for patient-blaming in mental illness.

Do Doctors Care About Patients?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 11, 2020

I have considered, over the years, whether doctors care about patients. There are arguments on both sides of this one and, I admit, recently, my interactions with doctors would suggest that they don’t. But these are only the experiences I’ve had with doctors. So, when looking at them en masse, do doctors care about their patients or not?

Improving Men’s Mental Health Before It Becomes a Crisis

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 4, 2020

Men’s mental health is the topic today. This piece is written by preeminent mental health speaker, Mike Veny.

Men’s mental health is in crisis, especially in America. The number of suicides is continuing to rise in our country and the statistics are scary. White men alone account for almost 70% of the suicide deaths each year. We need to begin to address men’s mental health so we can help them get the help they need before their challenges become a crisis.

Physical Pain vs. Depression’s Effect on Suicidality

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 29, 2020

Physical pain can affect suicidality and depression, of course, can affect one’s desire to commit suicide.* Both of these are seen in chronic illness. Those with a chronic or acute illness that causes great pain can cause a person to want to take their life and, of course, we know that about half of all people with bipolar disorder attempt suicide — mostly because of depression. (Physical illnesses may, themselves, lead to depression as well but we’ll skip that possibility right now.) I might suggest, however, that physical pain and depression** affect feelings of suicidality differently.

The Problem with Caring About What Others Think of You

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 23, 2020

There are problems when you care what other people think of you. And the thing is, we all care — at least a little bit, at least at some point in our lives. It’s natural. We want other people to like us. This is biological. If people like you, they are more likely to protect you when a panther attacks or make sure you have food when it runs low. Caring about what others think of you literally may have kept you alive, historically. But in our modern-day, there are major problems with caring about what others think of you or of what you do.

Waking Up After My Suicide Attempt

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 13, 2020

Most people will lose consciousness during a suicide attempt and, assuming they survive, it will be quite a jolt when they wake up after a suicide attempt. I know, I’ve been there. I remember the feeling (or, more accurately, feelings) of waking up after a suicide attempt. For some, it is grateful joy, for others, it is the darkest of disappointments. I think, though, waking up after a suicide attempt changes you no matter what. I also think that lessons can be learned at this time.

(Note: If you have just attempted suicide, this post isn’t for you — this post is.)