Bipolar blog Archives - Page 16 of 82 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Life-Saving Suicide Posts — Whether You’re Suicidal or Not

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 10, 2019

I’d like to spend some time this World Suicide Prevention Day sharing what I feel are life-saving suicide posts for people that are suicidal and for those who are not. I’ve spent more than a decade writing about suicide, suicide attempts and other mental health-related topics. I’ve covered a lot of ground. These posts have helped save lives over and over. No, this isn’t ego talking, this is the power of words talking. Suicide information does have the power to be life-saving.

So, if you are suicidal or if you need to support someone who might be suicidal, please review these suicide-related posts.

What Happens When Bipolar Meets Isolation?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 27, 2019

Bipolar disorder can lead to periods of prolonged isolation, especially during depressive episodes. In my experience, this disposition seems to be even sharper in the type II variant of bipolar, since manic episodes are absent. So what are the positives and negatives of bipolar disorder and isolation?

Save Mental Health Care for West Virginia – Speak Out Today

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 18, 2019

Two mental health facilities that provide acute, inpatient, psychiatric care are slated to close their doors in Wheeling, West Virginia. My name is Katrina Bell, and I have worked for the last 14 years at Ohio Valley Medical Center’s psychiatric facilities. These are the Robert C. Byrd Child and Adolescent Center as well as the Hillcrest Behavioral Center. These facilities are the only inpatient, acute, psychiatric centers in the Northern Panhandle of the state.

We were recently informed that our hospital will be closing within 60-90 days and no later than October 7^th of this year. We were devastated by this news, not only for us but for the vulnerable population we serve. We want your help to save these life-saving facilities.

Does Jeffery Epstein’s Suicide Rob Victims of Justice?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 12, 2019

When I read about Jeffery Epstein’s suicide*, the first thing I thought was, “Well, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.” But then I heard a reporter on television says that Epstein’s suicide robbed his victims** of justice and this got me thinking: Is it better to have a crime’s perpetrator in jail or dead? Put simply if you were a sex-trafficking victim of Epstein, if he had turned your adolescence into a nightmare for months or longer, would you prefer that he be dead or in prison?

Why Aren’t Bipolars Asking for Help Before a Suicide Attempt?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 23, 2019

As a person with bipolar, I can tell you, I did and I didn’t ask for help before my suicide attempt. I had been asking for mental health help, begging for help with bipolar disorder before my suicide attempt; however, I did not seek out suicide-specific help before my suicide attempt. And while we have data saying that many people see a doctor before attempting suicide, what we also know is that many people with bipolar disorder are not asking for help before a suicide attempt — even if they do see a doctor.

Weight Gain on Psych Meds: Why Don’t Psychiatrists Talk About, Track It?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 10, 2019

Talking about and tracking weight gain with regards to psychiatric medication isn’t fun. My guess is that talking about and tracking weight gain isn’t fun even for psychiatrists. Nevertheless, it seems to me like it’s part of their job. There are lots of “not fun” parts of their job that they seem to manage just fine, but this isn’t one of them. So why is it that psychiatrists don’t talk about or even track weight gain on psych meds?

Depression Makes Me Hard to Know — Hidden Depression

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 30, 2019

Depression makes me hard to get to know. (Well, the bipolar globally, but I’m primarily depressed, so I’ll focus on that.) I didn’t know this for the longest time. I thought I was an open book. And, really, if you ask me something, I’ll tell you about it. There’s very little that I’m not comfortable talking about. I’m honest. I engage in long conversations — sometimes about me. I thought that meant it was easy to get to know me but it turns out this isn’t the experience other people were having. Then the other day, I saw a list of 10 characteristics of perfectly hidden depression and I realized those characteristics described me. So, as it turns out, depression — hidden depression — makes me hard to get to know.

When Nothing Helps Your Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 26, 2019

Sometimes nothing helps my mental illness. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it’s true. Sometimes no matter the action, no matter the coping skill, no matter the thought pattern, my bipolar just don’t get better. This is difficult for those around me, and it’s especially disheartening for me. But it’s just a fact, sometimes nothing helps my mental illness.

Are People with Serious Mental Illness Spoonies? What’s a Spoonie?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 13, 2019

“Spoonies” have traditionally been thought of as people with serious, chronic illnesses of the body (outside of mental illnesses), but are people with serious, chronic mental illnesses really spoonies too? Personally, I identify as a spoonie and I think many people with serious, chronic mental illnesses are spoonies too. Read on to learn about what a spoonie is and how using the spoonie lexicon can help those with serious, chronic mental illness.