mental illness issues Archives - Page 17 of 53 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

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?

Living in the Moment Doesn’t Work for Everyone

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 28, 2019

Living in the moment doesn’t always work and it doesn’t work for everyone, period. This is one of my biggest problems with pop psychology and the one-size-fits-all nonsense spouted on popular websites untethered by science. Science can’t tell you many things but one thing it’s clear on is that anything only has a percentage chance of working — and that percentage is never 100 percent. In other words, no matter how sage the advice, it doesn’t work for all people. And while “live in the now” or “live in the moment” sounds good and fits on a bumper sticker, I just don’t find it works for everyone — particularly not the seriously, chronically ill — and it certainly doesn’t work all the time.

Bipolar Complaints — How to Complain About Bipolar Without Being a Bother

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 21, 2019

I have a lot of bipolar complaints right now. I have a lot of bipolar complaints about medication side effects, medication withdrawal effects and pain that seems unrelated but entirely badly timed. And yes, I feel like complaining about all of it. But I simultaneously don’t want to complain about any of it because I don’t want to be a bother to others. So is complaining about bipolar disorder okay in any amount? When? Where? To whom?

Major Depressive Disorder Clinical Trial Enrolling Now

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 14, 2019

I’m pleased to highlight a major depressive disorder clinical trial now looking for...

Bipolar — I Lied; I Don’t Have Good Days and Bad Days

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 11, 2019

I have bipolar and I lie. I have bipolar and I often feel my life is a lie. It isn’t lying...

Bipolar — What Does ‘I’m Sick’ Mean?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 7, 2019

I have bipolar disorder and I say “I’m sick” a lot. One could argue that with bipolar disorder constantly trying to kill me, I’m always sick, but “sick” is a sliding scale for someone who is, essentially, sick every day. Other people with chronic illnesses will likely back me up on this. (And yes, it’s true that not eveyone with bipolar disorder is chronically sick in the traditional sense.) So considering bipolar disorder, when I say “I’m sick,” what do I mean and how am I bipolar-sick right now?

The Most Radical Self-Care for Bipolar

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 30, 2019

Radical self-care is a thing I was thinking about this morning when I came up with the most radical self-care option for those with bipolar disorder (or any serious illness). It’s something some of us have tried but many of us don’t do because we’re often told we’re not supposed to. But radical self-care is about moving self-care up on your priority list and doing some of the things that society tells us not to do. So here’s the most radical self-care option those with bipolar disorder should consider.