mental illness issues Archives - Page 10 of 51 - Bipolar Burble Blog

How to Respond to Mental Health Jokes

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 19, 2020

Today, Bipolar Burble welcomes guest author Kate Haldeman. Kate is a licensed professional counselor, mental health advocate, and is a person with mental health issues. See more about Kate at the end.

Learning how to respond to mental health jokes is something I’ve had to do and it’s something I know we almost all have had to do. These types of jokes can happen at home, work or out and about and can definitely hurt a person’s feelings. Allow me to share what I’ve learned about these situations, microaggressions and handling mental health jokes.

Too Young to Be Suicidal? Children and Suicidality

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 17, 2020

It’s important that people recognize that a person is never too young to be suicidal. Children can be suicidal at four years old. Really. I know how scary that is to me and I assume it’s even scarier to the parents out there, but it’s still true: you’re never too young to be suicidal and attempt or even die by suicide. Let’s take a look at what that means for parents, families and the rest of us.

What Is Ableism? How Does Ableism Feel to Those with Mental Illness Disabilities?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 12, 2020

You may have heard the term “ableism,” but you may not know exactly what it is, so what is ableism? This word has a simple meaning but complex implications for a person with a disability. Personally, I hate the term, but unfortunately, it’s necessary, and I have to respect its uses. Here’s what ableism is and how ableism feels to the disabled (one of which being me).

Making Money off People with Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 27, 2020

Recently, someone irately said to me, “You shouldn’t make money off people with mental illness who need help.”

Okay, I understand the sentiment. The person who said it, we’ll call her MG, went on to say that I made her want to puke because I charged for my masterclasses. (My masterclasses are $35 for an early bird registration and $45 for late registration, by the way.) MG then called me a shyster, a creep and a douche and threatened to have me banned from Facebook. (So far, I’m still on Facebook.)

To say the least, MG was quite upset. And in case you were wondering, she’s not the only one who has yelled obscenities at me for daring to charge for my work.

In short, the idea is you shouldn’t make money off of people suffering from a mental illness. Okay, let’s unpack that for a moment, shall we?

Is Bipolar Disorder a ‘Real’ Disability?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 15, 2020

People don’t argue when you say paraplegia is a disability, but when you say your bipolar disorder is, people often do argue. This is in spite of the fact that, legally, bipolar disorder is a real disability in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. So what is a “real” disability and why don’t people think bipolar is a real disability?

Start Suicide Prevention Conversations and Forget the ‘Rules’

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 8, 2020

I firmly believe that suicide prevention starts with a conversation. A conversation that can stop suicide can be initiated by the person feeling suicidal or someone around them; regardless, a conversation is the starting point. But it can be very intimidating to talk about suicide. There are all kinds of “rules” when you talk about suicide and political correctness affects the language you are “allowed” to use. I say forget all that. Suicide prevention starts with a conversation that makes sense to you, not the PC police.

Pain May Not Get Better; Don’t Say, ‘It Gets Better’

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 1, 2020

Recently a commenter called me out for saying, “It will get better.” The commenter’s point is that pain doesn’t get better for everyone and saying “It gets better,” is a lie; and, I can see how it could be somewhat dismissive of an individual’s experience. I understand this commenter’s complaint. I understand that just saying, “It gets better,” can sound just as trite as, “Turn that frown upside down.” So let’s talk about when things don’t get better. Let’s talk about the nuance of what to say when pain is not getting better.

Being Judged by Doctors Because of a Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 11, 2020

I’m in the process of being judged by a doctor and I know the doctor will be judging me for having a mental illness, not to mention my mental illness treatment. This is happening because I just put in an application for a new general practitioner (GP). On the application, I had to write down my medical conditions, medical concerns and all medications being taken. As I looked at it all, I knew it didn’t look good for me. It’s funny that having a serious mental illness makes you appear like a less-than-desirable patient seeing as you’re one of the people who actually need help more. And that’s because of judgment. It’s about a doctor judging you for your mental illness and your treatment. It’s unfair, but it definitely happens.

Why Do People with Mental Illness Stop Taking Medication?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 27, 2020

People with mental illness frequently stop taking their medication. This is known as medication non-adherence or medication noncompliance. No matter what doctors choose to call it, however, it’s a problem. By and large, when the mentally ill stop taking their medication bad things happen to them. But if this is the case, then why do people with mental illness stop taking their medication?