chronic illness Archives - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

I Hate Hope: How to Manage Hope When You Have Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 15, 2026

I hate hope. I really do. Every time I feel it, I try to squelch it. And there’s a good reason for this. Hope leads to disappointment, and disappointment leads to depression and suffering. You may think I’m being negative here, but I’m not. I’m being realistic and speaking from experience. If you have treatment-resistant bipolar disorder (or anything else), you know what I mean. I feel like hope is a mirage that ends up clobbering me about the ear, nose, and throat. I hate hope, and hope is dangerous. But there it is, again and again. So, I’ve tried to find ways to manage my hope such that its benefits can persist without its negatives killing me.

Why People with Bipolar Are Not Your Inspiration Porn

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 18, 2026

People with bipolar disorder are not here to be turned into feel-good stories for other people. This article explores what inspiration porn is, how it shows up around bipolar disorder, and why reducing suffering to something “inspiring” is harmful.

What If Your Emotional Pain Is Trying to Protect You?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 24, 2025

I’m never going to call bipolar pain a “gift.” Most days, I just want it to stop. But emotional and even physical pain aren’t always random torture—they’re often trying to tell us something. This piece digs into what your pain might be saying, how to listen, and how that can make living with it just a little easier.

Chronic Illness Diagnosis Impact — Bipolar, Hypermobility, POTS

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 7, 2021

Bipolar disorder has been a chronic illness for me, and my chronic illness diagnosis of bipolar disorder happened around when I was 20. That was 23 years ago. I have become a bipolar disorder expert since then due to years and years of study since then. On top of that, I have all those years of personal experience dealing with a chronic mental illness. But now, I’ve been diagnosed with new chronic illnesses. So there are some questions. Is chronic illness diagnosis easier this time around? What does it feel like to be given life-altering diagnoses after already having a life-altering mental illness? And what’s the impact of new chronic illness on existing serious mental illness?