mental illness Archives - Page 2 of 11 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Am I Making Up My Mental Illness? Is Mental Illness All in My Head?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 23, 2022

People sometimes tell those with mental illness that it’s “all in their head.” Would it surprise you to learn, then, that sometimes people with mental illness think the same thing? Sometimes people with mental illness wonder if they’re making it all up. I’ve had these thoughts. I’ve wondered if I was making up my mental illness. I’ve wondered if my bipolar was all in my head. Weird, for an advocate, I know, but let’s look a little deeper at it.

Tips to Beat Anxiety During the Holidays

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Dec 21, 2021

Anxiety is such a common thing during this time of year, but you can beat anxiety during the holidays. I know things like parties, family, entertaining, and all the other things associated with the holidays can be anxiety-inducing for people — me too. Just thinking about my family sitting in my apartment while I stress about making Christmas dinner is freaking me out. And while we’re not all the same, I do believe there are some techniques we can all try to beat anxiety over the holidays.

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.

The Myth of Recovery in Serious Mental Illness

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 20, 2020

Can people with serious mental illnesses recover? That’s the question. It depends on your definition of “recovery” of course, but we’ll get to that in a minute. “Recovery” is now the goal when it comes to mental illnesses and, if your doctor is anything like the one I had when I was diagnosed, he will have told you that you will recover. But I’m not sure that recovery isn’t a myth for those with serious mental illness. Read one for more about not recovering from serious mental illness.

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Affecting My Mental Health

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 17, 2020

I’ve been talking about how the pandemic is affecting my mental health on social media quite a bit. I suppose many of us are. It’s a very hard-to-escape reality. Information (mostly depressing information) about the coronavirus pandemic is everywhere. But even when you avoid it, I find the pandemic affects mental health anyway. Here’s what the coronavirus pandemic is doing to my mental health and what I’m trying to do to counter it.

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.

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.

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.