bipolar disorder Archives - Page 8 of 38 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Mourning Bipolar Disability

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 9, 2020

I think it’s important to mourn a life with a disability like bipolar disorder. Not everyone with bipolar disorder is disabled, of course, there is a range of functionalities associated with bipolar disorder, but for those for whom it is a disability, mourning it is part of the bipolar diagnosis acceptance process. Unfortunately, this is rarely focused on or even discussed by healthcare professionals. This doesn’t make it unimportant, however. I believe mourning a bipolar disability is actually something that can improve one’s mental health.

Errors in Thinking in Bipolar — Cognitive Distortions Webinar Announced

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 1, 2020

I wrote a piece here called “How a Person with Bipolar Disorder Thinks.” It has been one of the most popular articles here with almost one million people (really) having read it. But, of course, a short article on thinking in bipolar disorder is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even touch on the errors in thinking, called cognitive distortions, that are common in bipolar disorder. That’s why I developed a webinar on just such a topic. This new webinar is called: Get Real 4: How People with BIpolar Think — Cognitive Distortions.

Want to See Natasha Tracy Speak? Mental Health Webinar Now Available

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 18, 2020

I’ve spoken at many mental health conferences and corporate events. This has been great for me and I’ve met some of my readers at those locations. Unfortunately, the vast majority of my readers haven’t been able to attend those events due to location, cost or simply because they were private events. So, after many requests, I’ve decided to start offering live, online mental health webinars. You can see the new Speaking Events heading on the upper menu. Under that, you’ll be able to find all the upcoming mental health speaking events.

How to Sleep with Bipolar — Good Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Tips

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 8, 2020

Sleeping with bipolar disorder is very hard so this article is devoted to talking about how to sleep with bipolar disorder, what sleep hygiene is and additional sleep tips. I’ve talked about some of these things before, but this post will bring together all the techniques I have previously discussed. Using all these sleep tips, I have been able to better regulate my sleep even with bipolar disorder, and I can tell you when I falter and don’t do these things, my sleep almost always suffers. Learning how to sleep with bipolar disorder has been hard, but good sleep hygiene and other positive sleep habits help.

Bipolar Made Me Who I Am Today and It’s Worth It?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 2, 2020

Bipolar has had a big hand in making me who I am today. That’s just a truism. But is this actually a good thing? People often say they are thankful for everything they have been through because it has made them who they are today. In fact, it’s a new year and people are saying this all over the place. But can you be thankful for bipolar because it made you who you are today?

Bipolar Symptoms Feel Like Punishment

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 7, 2019

I have felt for years that bipolar symptoms feel like punishment. It’s not so much the regular, everyday symptoms that feel that way — it’s more the bipolar symptoms suffered after fun that feel like punishment the most. It feels like if something good occurs or if I feel good for some reason, the bipolar won’t like that and it’ll come up and whop me with a punishment. This week is a perfect example of this. I’m being punished with bipolar symptoms because of receiving an award in Vegas last week.

Bipolar and Delusions: What Are They? What Are They Like? Who Gets Them?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 9, 2019

Delusions in bipolar disorder are common. It depends on where you draw the line as to how many people actually get them. What I can say for sure is that the majority of people with bipolar disorder do experience psychosis, and delusions are commonly (although not necessarily) a part of that. Here is what we know about delusions in bipolar disorder.

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?

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?