treatment issues Archives - Page 3 of 19 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

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.

Treatment Without Consent and AOT Needed for Those with Lack of Mental Illness Awareness – A True Story

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Apr 23, 2021

Bipolar Burble blog welcomes Lynn Nanos, a mobile emergency psychiatric social worker from Massachusetts. She writes about one patient’s experience with psychosis and the need for treatment without consent and assisted outpatient treatment (AOT).

I evaluate many patients with serious mental illness who lack awareness of being ill. Those who don’t understand they are ill, those who don’t have insight, are unlikely to initiate outpatient treatment. Here’s a story of one man who needed treatment without consent for his own safety.

How Psychologists Can Harm Your Mental Health (But They Don’t Have to)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 4, 2021

Psychology can harm your mental health in several ways. Some of you may have experienced this. In fact, just last week on Instagram, I posted an experience someone had that illustrated of type of this harm (more on this later). Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that psychologists are there to help, and certainly, not all psychologists will hurt your mental health, but some definitely do. I want to explore how I’ve seen psychologists hurt the mental health of others, even in spite of their best intentions.

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?

Do Doctors Care About Patients?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Feb 11, 2020

I have considered, over the years, whether doctors care about patients. There are arguments on both sides of this one and, I admit, recently, my interactions with doctors would suggest that they don’t. But these are only the experiences I’ve had with doctors. So, when looking at them en masse, do doctors care about their patients or not?

What Trauma-Informed Care Gets Wrong About Bipolar Disorder

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Dec 4, 2019

“Trauma-informed care” is a semi-new buzzword that is heard all over right now but trauma-informed care gets a lot wrong when it comes to bipolar disorder (and other serious mental illnesses). I don’t say this because I don’t think trauma-informed care works — I think it probably does. But like anything, it only works for a certain population; and, like with anything fashionable, right now (look, it has its own conference) they are trying to shoehorn it onto every population. And when it comes to bipolar disorder, trauma-informed care gets a lot wrong.

Save Mental Health Care for West Virginia – Speak Out Today

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 18, 2019

Two mental health facilities that provide acute, inpatient, psychiatric care are slated to close their doors in Wheeling, West Virginia. My name is Katrina Bell, and I have worked for the last 14 years at Ohio Valley Medical Center’s psychiatric facilities. These are the Robert C. Byrd Child and Adolescent Center as well as the Hillcrest Behavioral Center. These facilities are the only inpatient, acute, psychiatric centers in the Northern Panhandle of the state.

We were recently informed that our hospital will be closing within 60-90 days and no later than October 7^th of this year. We were devastated by this news, not only for us but for the vulnerable population we serve. We want your help to save these life-saving facilities.

Weight Gain on Psych Meds: Why Don’t Psychiatrists Talk About, Track It?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 10, 2019

Talking about and tracking weight gain with regards to psychiatric medication isn’t fun. My guess is that talking about and tracking weight gain isn’t fun even for psychiatrists. Nevertheless, it seems to me like it’s part of their job. There are lots of “not fun” parts of their job that they seem to manage just fine, but this isn’t one of them. So why is it that psychiatrists don’t talk about or even track weight gain on psych meds?

Bipolar, Depression and Diet — The Evidence

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jan 23, 2019

Can your diet actually impact your depression or bipolar disorder? This is the question. While people claim that certain diets do help with mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder, the evidence just hasn’t been there. About the only thing the research can say is that eating an unhealthy, processed diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies and this can make mental illness outcomes worse. That’s it. And that makes perfect sense. But can your diet actually improve your bipolar disorder, depression or other mental health issue? Here’s what we know today.