Tag Archives: mental health

Demi Lovato Has Bipolar Disorder

Jessica WakemanApril 21, 2011 //

“I never found out until I went into treatment that I was bipolar. Looking back it makes sense. There were times when I was so manic, I was writing seven songs in one night and I’d be up until 5:30 in the morning. I feel like I am in control now where my whole life I wasn’t in control. … What’s important for me now is to help others.”

— Demi Lovato opens up about her bipolar disorder, just one day after Catherine Zeta-Jones shared with People that she suffers from bipolar II disorder (a variation of bipolar). Demi’s confession sheds some light on the drama in November when she abruptly left the Jonas Brothers’ world tour after a fight with a backup dancer. She checked into rehab (for an eating disorder and cutting), where she was diagnosed as bipolar. I applaud Demi Lovato for her candor about her mental health, especially at the young age of 18. [People] Keep reading »

Catherine Zeta-Jones Opens Up About Her Bipolar II Disorder

Jessica WakemanApril 20, 2011 //

“This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help.”

— Catherine Zeta-Jones opened up to People about her struggles with mental health. Bipolar II disorder is marked by long periods of depression with shorter spurts of mania. Catherine was reportedly having trouble dealing with her husband Michael Douglas’ battle with throat cancer and briefly checked into a mental health facility in Connecticut in early April. I applaud Catherine for coming out about her illness. She’s right: there is no shame in seeking help. [People] Keep reading »

Marriage Is Great For Your Health — So Long As It’s A Good One

Amelia McDonell-ParryJanuary 28, 2011 //

Good news, married and soon-to-be-married folk! Wedded bliss can lead to better mental and physical health, a longer life, and more friends — but only if the union is a “loving and supportive” one. Researchers found that happily married people were more likely to eat healthier and have fuller social lives, likely because a supportive partnership encourages healthier habits and widens a person’s social circle. However, according to the researcher who reviewed major studies on the subject in seven European countries, an unhappy marriage is worse for a person’s mental health than not being in a relationship at all. In other words, there are worse things than being alone. [Daily Mail U.K.] Keep reading »

Having A Baby — Not Having An Abortion — Increases Your Risk For Mental Health Problems

Jessica WakemanJanuary 27, 2011 //

Having an abortion does not trigger mental health problems, according to a Danish study of 365,550 teen girls and women who had an abortion or a baby between 1995 and 2007. In fact, what makes a woman most at risk for mental health problems is having a baby, the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found. None of the women studied had a prior history of psychiatric hospitalization.

Sorry to burst your bubble, anti-abortion extremists. Keep reading »

What To Do If You’ve Been Sexually Assaulted

Jessica WakemanDecember 23, 2010 //

We’ve written a lot about sexual assault on The Frisky this week, from the death threats faced by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s alleged victims and the weatherwoman who filed a false report, to the “Congratulations, you’ve been bad touched!” greeting card on Etsy.com and blogger Andrea Grimes’ incredibly thought-provoking essay, “Who Will Rape Me?” Heavy stuff in the days before Christmas, to be sure.

Yesterday, commenter _JSW_ made a great suggestion that The Frisky get all service journalism-y and provide information on what to do if you’ve been sexually assaulted. I’m more than happy to oblige in the hopes that we can skew our coverage towards more positivity.

I hope our readers and their loved ones will never need this (very basic) information. But given the statistics about rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and incest, it never hurts to be informed. Keep reading »

Change Your Underwear, Change Your Mood

Ami AngelowiczDecember 16, 2010 //

Ladies, need a quick pick-me-up? Do a panty swap. I hate the word “panty,” by the way. And “panty swap” just sounds wrong. But seriously, a new phone survey, conducted by Shop Smart magazine, found that your undies can affect your mood. Out of the 1,000 women that were surveyed, 47 percent said that they felt sexier and more confident when they slipped into a pair of “nice” or “special” undies while 27 percent felt that “unattractive” or “ill-fitting” undergarments made their mood worse. At what point do you make a decision to put on undies that don’t fit? Those poor girls. I am going to call all 270 of them and explain how to find special and nice underwear that also fit. OK, so the takeaway here? If you’re in a bad mood, you should probably change your underwear. [The Hairpin] Keep reading »

At-Home Electroshock Therapy Sounds Scary

Kate Torgovnick/Kate-Book.comDecember 3, 2010 //

You know what sounds like a terrible idea? At-home electroshock therapy. But according to The Daily Beast, this isn’t as terrifying as it sounds. Writer Casey Schwartz decided to test the Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator, which claims to target the limbic system and stimulate the release of dopamine and serotonin. The thing looks like a remote control with two electrodes you attach to your forehead, and could potentially help with depression, anxiety, insomnia, OCD, drug addictions, and post-traumatic stress disorder. And interestingly, Casey kind of liked the device. Keep reading »

Frisky Q&A: Brittany Snow On The “Love Is Louder” Campaign

Jessica WakemanNovember 15, 2010 //

Brittany Snow is one of those celebs who I’ve enjoyed onscreen — in the “Hairspray” remake, “Prom Night,” a singular episode of “Gossip Girl” during a Lily Van Der Woodsen flashback — but didn’t think much about. But it turns out, she’s actually a really cool person with a big heart. Brittany works closely with several organizations to promote mental health in young people, based on her own experiences being bullied in school, and later, as she told People magazine, battling anorexia, exercise bulimia (instead of throwing up, you exercise too much), body dysmorphia, and cutting.

In light of the recent suicides by LGBT youth that have cast a light on bullying, Brittany teamed up with The Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention group, and MTV for the “Love Is Louder” campaign. She’s urging people to tweet inspirational messages like “#loveislouder than hate” and “I’ve felt isolated and hopeless, but #loveislouder than the pain.” Celebs like Pink and Vinny from “Jersey Shore” have spoken out with “Love Is Louder” videos as well.

After the jump, I spoke with 24-year-old Brittany about “Love Is Louder” and her experiences being bullied. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: In Praise Of Mental Health Days

Jessica WakemanSeptember 21, 2010 //

When I was growing up I had a friend who was as aloof as she was glamorous. She had a way of holding the cutest and most charming boys in her thrall and all the girls wanted her to like them. Whenever she had problems with her romances, her schoolwork, her friends or her family, she was very mysterious about it. Her glass facade never shattered in public and very seldom would she even admit to having problems at all. Some days, random Tuesdays or Thursdays, she wouldn’t be in school, even though she hadn’t looked sick the day before. She would call them her “mental health days.”

She seemed very melodramatic to me, as if this were all just part of her act. But it was also exciting. My mother is a lot like Betty Draper and she would say to me when I was growing up that if I was not bleeding, I was fine. That kind of mothering doesn’t exactly teach someone self-care: if I didn’t want to go to school, I would lock myself in my bedroom and shriek at my mother through the door that I wanted to be left alone. A “mental health day,” on the other hand, sounded so grown-up, like she was taking a “personal day” at the office and we weren’t just a couple of 10th graders. I could imagine my friend calm and collected, attending to her own needs like a cat licking his paws. Maybe it was melodramatic, but it still sounded nice. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: I’m A Former Cutter

Setacie CorvallisSeptember 8, 2010 //

Since I’ve just marked my 30th year on this planet, I’ve lately found myself reflecting on my life. As it stands now, I’m in love with a man who freely admits he’s pretty nuts about me too, I’m lucky enough to be translating my passions into (albeit meager) paychecks, I volunteer, I vote. All good stuff, the hallmarks of a person who has her life together.

The thing is, I never thought I’d live this long. Having a perfect storm of prerequisite issues that aided in the devaluing my own life, it wasn’t too long ago that I was swinging madly between maladaptive behaviors. I didn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I thought a lot about killing myself. I was hospitalized several times during my college years. Despite all the hospitalizations, the awkward post-hospitalization meetings with the Dean of Students, and the weekly meetings with my therapist, I was unable to discuss the problem I kept well-hidden.

I was a cutter. Keep reading »

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