mental illness issues Archives - Page 15 of 53 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Why Aren’t Bipolars Asking for Help Before a Suicide Attempt?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 23, 2019

As a person with bipolar, I can tell you, I did and I didn’t ask for help before my suicide attempt. I had been asking for mental health help, begging for help with bipolar disorder before my suicide attempt; however, I did not seek out suicide-specific help before my suicide attempt. And while we have data saying that many people see a doctor before attempting suicide, what we also know is that many people with bipolar disorder are not asking for help before a suicide attempt — even if they do see a doctor.

When Nothing Helps Your Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 26, 2019

Sometimes nothing helps my mental illness. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it’s true. Sometimes no matter the action, no matter the coping skill, no matter the thought pattern, my bipolar just don’t get better. This is difficult for those around me, and it’s especially disheartening for me. But it’s just a fact, sometimes nothing helps my mental illness.

Are People with Serious Mental Illness Spoonies? What’s a Spoonie?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 13, 2019

“Spoonies” have traditionally been thought of as people with serious, chronic illnesses of the body (outside of mental illnesses), but are people with serious, chronic mental illnesses really spoonies too? Personally, I identify as a spoonie and I think many people with serious, chronic mental illnesses are spoonies too. Read on to learn about what a spoonie is and how using the spoonie lexicon can help those with serious, chronic mental illness.

Saying ‘I’m Grumpy’ When Really I’m Depressed — Social Acceptability of Sadness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 28, 2019

I say “I’m grumpy” when really I’m depressed all the time. Like, all the time. It just seems to slip out when people ask me how I am. I think it’s because saying “I’m grumpy” feels like less of a lie than “I’m fine.” I also think that saying “I’m grumpy” is more socially appropriate than saying “I’m depressed.” It’s like saying, “I’m dealing with a negative emotion right now but it’s one you’ll understand,” as opposed to, “I’m dealing with an illness right now that you’ll never understand.” So, yes, when I’m depressed I’ll most often admit to being “grumpy.”

‘Better’ and ‘Worse’ Mental Illness Diagnoses

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 16, 2019

There is this concept that some mental illness diagnoses are better or worse than others. Once you start looking for this concept, you’ll see evidence of it all over the place, such as in: “At least I don’t have schizophrenia,” or, “Don’t date borderlines, they’re really messed up.” But why do people think some mental illness diagnoses are better or worse than others?

Britney Spears’ Conservatorship and Mental Health

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 30, 2019

Today I’m going to write about the conservatorship of Britney Spears and how it relates to mental health. Last week I wrote about the #FreeBritney movement and how people are declaring the Britney Spears is being held at a mental health facility against her will. I made the point that this is due to mental illness prejudice as no one would think she was being held against her will in another type of medical facility. (For the record, Spears is no longer in a mental health facility.)

Mental Illness Prejudice and the #FreeBritney Frenzy

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 25, 2019

There’s a rather large #FreeBritney frenzy going on right now. This group of people posits Britney Spears is currently being held against her will in a mental health facility (which has been called a “wellness center”). As someone who works in the area of mental illness, I can tell you this is just another form of mental illness prejudice and stigma. If Spears were in a standard hospital, no one would question her need to be there, but because this is a mental health facility, people are assuming she’s there against her will and rumors are swirling. #FreeBritney is ridiculous and even the star herself has come out and said so.

The Battles of Depression and Suicide of an ‘Everyday Guy’

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 9, 2019

I have battled with what I now know is depression for the better part of a decade – since my teenage years. At the time, I didn’t see it as depression, it was simply a part of who I was. What my parents once considered to be nothing more than bouts of teenage angst, was something much more sinister. A while back I learned (in therapy) that most of my energy went into keeping me “above the surface.” Fighting like this really is a draining experience. It drained me emotionally, as well as physically.

Employment and Bipolar: How Working with Bipolar Feels

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 6, 2019

Employment in bipolar disorder is a big topic and trying to work with bipolar disorder is no easy thing. If you have a job that requires the use of your brain, you’re going to have trouble if you have a brain illness like bipolar disorder. This is just logical. But what is this “trouble” like? What how does it really feel to work when you have bipolar disorder?