treatments Archives - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Dextromethorphan Vs Ketamine: A New (Affordable) Depression Treatment Option Explained

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Oct 17, 2024

Looking for a more affordable alternative to ketamine for treatment-resistant depression? Discover how dextromethorphan/bupropion offers new hope. This article breaks down the differences between ketamine and dextromethorphan, their effectiveness, and how these antidepressants work. If you’ve struggled with depression treatments or face challenges accessing expensive therapies like ketamine, this guide might offer the answers you’ve been searching for. Dive in to learn more about this innovative approach.

Do Magic Mushrooms Work to Treat Bipolar?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Dec 7, 2023

Magic mushrooms (psilocybin) are being looked at as a treatment for bipolar disorder. And good news came out this week about using psilocybin in the treatment of bipolar type II depression. Specifically, the results in a very small clinical sample were extremely promising. That said, there are things you need to know before you run out and buy magic mushrooms from your local drug dealer. Here’s what we know about magic mushrooms working for bipolar disorder.

I Was Harmed by Truehope, EMPowerplus – My Story

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 31, 2023

In February 2022, I decided I wanted to go off my antidepressants. This is what led me to find the company Truehope and their supplement EMPowerplus. I wish I never had. The direction from the staff at Truehope has damaged my health more than I ever thought possible. I have depression and have been greatly injured by Truehope. This is my story.

Truehope EMPowerplus Evidence Claims — Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 20, 2023

Last time, I discussed the evidence Truehope presented for using its EMPowerplus in depression. You can check out that review here. (I also discussed the Truehope EMPowerplus formulations, their disclaimer, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules around supplements.) Today, I am going to delve into the claims Truehope makes about using EMPowerplus micronutrient formula in bipolar disorder and why the claims made by this company are so dangerous.

‘Yellowjackets’ Shows ECT and Harms the Mentally Ill

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 14, 2023

If you’re hooked on the show Yellowjackets, like me, then you’ll know that in season two, episode two, Yellowjackets showed an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) scene (I believe it may be called “electroshock” in the show). In the scene, one character, Lottie, is forced onto a bed, an injection is given in her arm, a bite block is placed in her mouth, and she is shocked by electrodes on either side of her head. She violently convulses, clearly in nightmarish pain. Let’s talk about how the Yellowjackets‘ depiction of ECT is inaccurate and harms the mentally ill.

New Treatments for Bipolar Depression—Options for Treatment Resistance

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Dec 14, 2022

Recently, Psychiatric Times did a comprehensive piece on new or unusual bipolar depression treatments, treatments that may be an option for treatment-resistant bipolar depression. They are thinking outside the standard bipolar depression treatments. This is critical because many people just aren’t being helped or aren’t being helped enough by standard bipolar depression treatments. These novel bipolar depression treatments come in two flavors: medication-based and non-medication-based. If you’re at a place in your bipolar depression treatment where you’re not getting better, you may want to consider discussing these unique treatments with your psychiatrist.

The Problem with Mental Health Apps in 2022

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jun 8, 2022

There are major problems with mental health apps. I hate to be a Negative Nancy about it, but there are. According to a webcast, I watched recently called BlogHer, there are more than 10,000 mental health apps in the app store right now. This must be a good thing, right? Well, I would argue that quality is much more important than quantity in the mental health space. We are talking about your health here. It would be nice to put that in the hands of people who know what they’re doing. But I would argue that 10,000 mental health apps certainly can’t claim that.

New, Unique Sleep Medication — Dayvigo, Lemborexant

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 11, 2021

A new and unique sleep medication is typically welcomed by the mentally ill population because those with mental illness (particularly mood disorders) tend to also have sleep problems like insomnia. However, a sleep medication that works in a unique way hasn’t been introduced in years: util lemborexant (Dayvigo), that is. Lemborexant is an insomnia medication that works on orexin receptors, which in and of themselves are actually a new-ish discovery. Read on for how lemborexant could be useful and why you might even consider switching.

You Can’t Change Your Thoughts or Feelings (No Matter How Much CBT You Do)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 5, 2021

You can’t change how you think and you can’t change what you feel. These are truisms. I know that some people (such as some who believe strongly in cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) might tell you different, but honestly, these people are wrong. These people are misunderstanding the situation. After dealing with bipolar disorder — a disordered and out-of-control brain — for more than two decades, I can attest to having tried very hard to change how I feel and think. However, the impossibility of this has become imminently clear to me.