bipolar disorder Archives - Page 5 of 37 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Hypersexuality in Bipolar — Let’s Talk About It

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 28, 2021

I’ve experienced hypersexuality as part of bipolar disorder. Now, I’m not one to run about and have sex with everything that moves (but it’s okay if you are), so, luckily, this symptom of bipolar has not hurt me (although it has affected me). That said, hypersexuality is a real bipolar symptom with real consequences for people. One of the problems with hypersexuality, though, is that it is about sex. People have issues talking openly about sex, particularly in a sex-positive way. But this isn’t helpful to those who have experienced hypersexuality. So, for a moment, let’s openly talk about hypersexuality — just another bipolar symptom.

How I Know What Is Bipolar and What Is Me

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 20, 2021

Yesterday, I was asked how I know what is bipolar and what is me. As in, when I’m having a thought, emotion, or impulse, how do I know which of those things is coming from the bipolar disorder and which are genuinely me? This is not a simple question. The edges between me and the bipolar disorder are fuzzy. Bipolar disorder can be very loud and overtake my own voice. And while I’m sure I don’t get it right 100 percent of the time, I do know what is bipolar and what is me.

Why I Hate People Who Say ‘Find God’ to Cure Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 29, 2021

People tell me to “find god” to cure my bipolar disorder. I understand that people have various motivations for doing this, and the motivations tend not to be sinister, but that doesn’t make me appreciate this sentiment in the least. These people are imposing and pious, and self-righteous, and as a rule, these are characteristics I don’t care for in people. If you’re looking for a response to people who tell you to find god to cure your bipolar disorder or if you’re the kind of person that offers that kind of advice, read on.

People with Bipolar Deserve Love

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 21, 2021

People with bipolar disorder deserve love — the same love as everyone else. It’s important to realize this if you have bipolar disorder, yes, but it’s important that everyone else realize that truism too. Love isn’t something that is reserved for the perfect or the able, love is something that humans get to feel, period. Learn more about why I know that people with bipolar disorder deserve love.

Work Around Bipolar: Bipolar Is an Illness of Workarounds

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 1, 2021

Bipolar is an illness of workarounds. As in, I constantly have to find ways to work around bipolar disorder. In fact, if there’s one coping skill that matters most when it comes to dealing with this serious mental illness, it’s being creative in finding alternate paths. So let’s talk about bipolar workarounds — how we can find them and how we can use them.

Do You Really Have Bipolar, Not Depression? Soft Signs of Bipolar

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 7, 2021

Have you ever wondered if you really have bipolar disorder and not major depression? Did you know there are signs that can point to bipolar disorder outside of what we normally consider to be the diagnostic symptoms of bipolar disorder? And did you also know that few doctors take these types of signs into account? If you feel like you have bipolar disorder but have been diagnosed with major depression, you’ll want to know about these signs because diagnosis directly affects treatment, and treatment directly affects you getting better.

Living Through Bipolar Mania — Learning to Live with the Mania Monster

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 5, 2021

Bipolar Burble blog welcomes guest poster Bob Krulish. Bob has bipolar type 1 and today, is talking about living through mania and living with the mania monster.

I became symptomatic with bipolar disorder when I was about 16 years old, after my dad abruptly left in the middle of the night, never to return. My mom and I searched endlessly for him, driving the streets at night, shining a flashlight into dark corners of our tiny Florida town, looking for him like a lost puppy. I knew he wasn’t there; she knew he wasn’t there, but looking gave us a sense of control. That’s when my bipolar symptoms started to peek through. At first, the signs of mania were small and quiet, knocking around inside my mind like a tiny, restless mouse. There was cyclical thinking; there were obsessive tendencies, and, of course, there were delusions of grandeur.

Bipolar Depression — Stop Telling Me to ‘Cry It Out’

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 3, 2021

I have a lot of experience with bipolar depression, and I hate it when people tell me to “cry it out.” I find this one of the most useless pieces of advice you can give a person who’s upset, particularly one that’s already crying. It’s built on the idea that you can cry out a sorrow of some sort as if there’s a beginning, middle and end. Well, I can’t comment for people without bipolar disorder, but for people with bipolar depression, “crying it out” isn’t an option.

Why Don’t Doctors Listen to People with Bipolar Disorder?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 14, 2021

Doctors often don’t listen to people with bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses. In fact, most people with bipolar disorder know, the instant a doctor sees “bipolar disorder” on your chart, you’re screwed. Now, don’t get me wrong, not every doctor is the same, and I have had some doctors treat me with the same care I suspect they would offer anyone else. That said, on the whole, doctors don’t listen to people with bipolar disorder. Here’s why, and here’s how to fight it.