Many people with bipolar disorder struggle with self-loathing. Maybe the self-loathing starts as the depressive phase does with all sorts of awful thoughts about yourself. Because that’s how depression works: It outright lies, and inflicts pain. You can’t do anything right. You’re an abject failure. You’re also stupid. And worthless, and no one
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger December 2, 2018
For something so common, anxiety is still massively misunderstood. There are myths and misconceptions about everything from what anxiety disorders look and feel like to what actually helps to treat these illnesses and navigate anxiety. Which is why we asked several anxiety experts to clear things up. Below, you’ll find
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger November 27, 2018
Bipolar II disorder is a less severe version of bipolar I disorder. That’s likely an assumption you’ve already come across. Maybe you read it in an article. Maybe you heard it from someone else, maybe even a mental health professional. Author Julie Kraft has heard bipolar II called “bipolar light”
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger November 10, 2018
For the first three decades of Julie Kraft’s life, every day was a struggle. “From the minute I woke up to the moment my head hit the pillow each night, my mind would spin with worries and fears—most of them irrational—about the past, present and the future,” Kraft said. “I
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger November 7, 2018
This is what most people think obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) looks like: washing your hands excessively because you’re a germaphobe. Sometimes, people think it’s also needing to have a neat, orderly home, and checking to see if you locked the door way too many times. And while some of this is
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger November 2, 2018
There’s a prevailing belief that exploring your past in therapy is pointless. A complete waste of time. After all, talking about past circumstances doesn’t change them. It’s also self-indulgent and narcissistic, right? And it takes too darn long. You can talk about your childhood for years and not get anywhere.
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger October 31, 2018
Anxiety seems like a simple, straightforward topic. After all, it’s a common emotion—everyone feels anxious from time to time. And it’s a common condition. In fact, it’s the most common mental illness in the U.S. Anxiety disorders affect about 18 percent of adults every year. And yet there are many,
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger October 13, 2018
Parenting is an amazing adventure. It is an honor and a privilege to raise a human being. It is fascinating, and wonderful to witness your kids evolve, and to grow alongside them. But parenting also has many annoying parts—frustrating, challenging, and sometimes downright maddening parts. And sometimes it’s these annoying
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger October 6, 2018
One of the biggest challenges in treating bipolar disorder is actually accepting the diagnosis. Because, of course, if you don’t believe you have an illness, you won’t focus on managing it. Psychotherapist Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW, has run a group for individuals with bipolar disorder for over a decade.
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger October 4, 2018
As parents, there are lots of skills we need and want to teach our kids. Most of us focus on the basics, such as teaching our kids how to feed and dress themselves, how to tie their shoes, how to count, and read and write. After all, these are foundational
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger September 12, 2018
Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger December 2, 2018