Bipolar blog Archives - Page 18 of 82 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Living in the Moment Doesn’t Work for Everyone

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 28, 2019

Living in the moment doesn’t always work and it doesn’t work for everyone, period. This is one of my biggest problems with pop psychology and the one-size-fits-all nonsense spouted on popular websites untethered by science. Science can’t tell you many things but one thing it’s clear on is that anything only has a percentage chance of working — and that percentage is never 100 percent. In other words, no matter how sage the advice, it doesn’t work for all people. And while “live in the now” or “live in the moment” sounds good and fits on a bumper sticker, I just don’t find it works for everyone — particularly not the seriously, chronically ill — and it certainly doesn’t work all the time.

Bipolar Complaints — How to Complain About Bipolar Without Being a Bother

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 21, 2019

I have a lot of bipolar complaints right now. I have a lot of bipolar complaints about medication side effects, medication withdrawal effects and pain that seems unrelated but entirely badly timed. And yes, I feel like complaining about all of it. But I simultaneously don’t want to complain about any of it because I don’t want to be a bother to others. So is complaining about bipolar disorder okay in any amount? When? Where? To whom?

Major Depressive Disorder Clinical Trial Enrolling Now

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 14, 2019

I’m pleased to highlight a major depressive disorder clinical trial now looking for...

Bipolar — I Lied; I Don’t Have Good Days and Bad Days

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 11, 2019

I have bipolar and I lie. I have bipolar and I often feel my life is a lie. It isn’t lying...

Bipolar — What Does ‘I’m Sick’ Mean?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 7, 2019

I have bipolar disorder and I say “I’m sick” a lot. One could argue that with bipolar disorder constantly trying to kill me, I’m always sick, but “sick” is a sliding scale for someone who is, essentially, sick every day. Other people with chronic illnesses will likely back me up on this. (And yes, it’s true that not eveyone with bipolar disorder is chronically sick in the traditional sense.) So considering bipolar disorder, when I say “I’m sick,” what do I mean and how am I bipolar-sick right now?

The Most Radical Self-Care for Bipolar

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 30, 2019

Radical self-care is a thing I was thinking about this morning when I came up with the most radical self-care option for those with bipolar disorder (or any serious illness). It’s something some of us have tried but many of us don’t do because we’re often told we’re not supposed to. But radical self-care is about moving self-care up on your priority list and doing some of the things that society tells us not to do. So here’s the most radical self-care option those with bipolar disorder should consider.

Bipolar, Depression and Diet — The Evidence

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 23, 2019

Can your diet actually impact your depression or bipolar disorder? This is the question. While people claim that certain diets do help with mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder, the evidence just hasn’t been there. About the only thing the research can say is that eating an unhealthy, processed diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies and this can make mental illness outcomes worse. That’s it. And that makes perfect sense. But can your diet actually improve your bipolar disorder, depression or other mental health issue? Here’s what we know today.

You Can Be Whatever You Want to Be? I Don’t Think So (and Neither Does Bipolar)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 15, 2019

Parents always tell their kids, “You can be whatever you want to be.” We grow up with this notion. Moreover, we grow up with the notion that if we just work hard enough, our dreams will come true. We are supposed to “never stop dreaming.” We are told, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Oh for god’s sake. What a pile of tripe.

You cannot just “be whatever you want to be.” And if you aren’t sure about this, just ask bipolar, it’ll confirm it for you.

10 Tips on How to Tell Someone You Have Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 3, 2019

At some point, those of us with bipolar need to tell others we have bipolar disorder; but the question is, how do you tell someone you have bipolar disorder in a way that avoids negative outcomes? This is something I have wrestled with and it’s something I get asked about a lot. Here are some tips on how to tell someone you have bipolar disorder.