Bipolar blog Archives - Page 22 of 81 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

World Bipolar Day Live Q & A with Natasha Tracy, Julie A. Fast

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 28, 2018

This Friday, March 30th, 2018 is World Bipolar Day. People like me and Julie A. Fast along with the International Bipolar Foundation are spending this World Bipolar Day educating others about the realities of living with bipolar disorder.

I’m going to be doing a Facebook Live question and answer session from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. PT (noon-1:00 p.m. ET) on my page. I’ll be talking about bipolar disorder and answering your questions live. I’ll do my best to answer anything you like.

You’ve Been Cured of Bipolar Disorder? I Don’t Think So

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 25, 2018

There are people who claim to have been cured of bipolar disorder. This is a thing that happens, especially online. People have written to me claiming of a bipolar cure. Companies also claim to cure (or magically treat) bipolar disorder. (One, in fact, threatened to sue me for talking about my experience with their product.)

My opinion is the people who claim to have been cured of bipolar disorder are dangerous.

Severe Agitation – Bipolar Symptom or Medication Side Effect?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 21, 2018

I am suffering from severe bipolar-related agitation. Or is it severe medication-related agitation? This is the question. Technically, it’s mostly a question for your doctor, but it’s one I struggle with, too. On one level, it doesn’t much matter what’s causing the agitation as it’s happening and that’s that; and on the other hand, I think it’s important to know what’s driving the agitation – a bipolar symptom or a medication side effect?

Depression and Fake, Coping Skill Smiles vs Real Smiles

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 12, 2018

If you knew me, you would know that I smile a lot. I fake smile a lot as a bipolar depression coping skill. Even when I’m quite depressed, I smile around others to hide. I would consider this to be pretty normal for people with a mental illness and even people without it. After all, how many people are hiding grief or heartbreak, for example, behind a smile?

But then there’s when I’m alone. I actually smile when I’m alone. When I was walking alone on the street this morning, I smiled at the moon. (I love when it’s out in the morning.) Somehow, seeing the moon created a smile on my face. Why is that? Why is it when I’m depressed I still smile when I’m alone?

Depression and Crying in Public

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 6, 2018

I have experienced depression because of bipolar and cried in public more time than I can count. Like, way more. I’ve cried in grocery stores, malls, restaurants and pretty well anywhere else you can name. In fact, I just got off a plane where I was crying. So I’ve had a lot of experience crying in public because of depression and have given it a lot of thought.

Depression – How Hard It Is to Wake Up Crying

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 21, 2018

Some days, depression actually makes me wake up crying. Sometimes the crying is a few minutes after waking up and sometimes it is mere seconds. I have even woken up in the morning with tears on my face. I don’t know how these things are possible. I don’t know how depression can make me cry when I wake up before thoughts are even produced – I only know that it can.

Mental Health Politically Correct Language Is Not Superior, Just Different

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 12, 2018

I do not consider politically correct language to be superior in any way. People who know me know I’m not a big fan of political correctness in the mental health arena. I don’t give a hoot about “person-first language.” I don’t care if you absentmindedly call the weather “bipolar.” And I will always call a spade a spade and say I represent the mentally ill and not those with “behavioral health conditions.” And I talk about violence and mental illness and other things that we’re not supposed to mention because it scares the villagers. And I certainly don’t think insisting on changing the aforementioned things (and oh-so-much-more) helps those of us with mental illness in the slightest. I realize, this puts me in the minority (and she laughs), but my opinion is, politically correct language is not superior, just different.

Bipolar, Schizophrenia and Depression Are Genetically Linked

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 11, 2018

I know to some people, saying that bipolar, schizophrenia and depression are genetic is like saying the sky is blue. We know that these illnesses are genetic. It’s obvious. It’s also pretty obvious (to, me, anyway) that bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia overlap in some ways. Nonetheless, some people require yet more proof. Well, welcome to some more proof. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression (and actually autism and alcoholism) are genetic and these illnesses’ genes even overlap. Yes, we bipolars are genetically linked to our brothers and sisters with other psychiatric disorders.

When Bipolar Disorder Makes Me Feel Useless

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 7, 2018

Bipolar disorder can absolutely make me feel useless. I woke up this morning and I went about my routine of feeding the cats, taking meds and so on. That’s fine. Then I sat down at my computer to start work. I started doing my social media tasks for the day, answering comments and so on. And then my brain just seized. Suddenly, thanks to bipolar disorder, I was useless.