TABOO TUESDAY: Bipolar Disorder in Hollywood with Alessandra Torresani

Emotionally Fit

Hollywood actress and podcast host, Alessandra Torresani joins the show to talk about living with Bipolar I Disorder in Hollywood, discussing everything from being misdiagnosed and discouraged from revealing her condition publicly to finally opening up on set about her struggles and starting her own podcast.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Alessandra on Instagram and Twitter

Learn more about NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Listen to Alessandra’s interview with former co-star Eden Sher on her podcast EmotionAL Support

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Staying emotionally fit takes work and repetition. That's why the Emotionally Fit podcast with psychologist Dr. Emily Anhalt delivers short, actionable Emotional Push-Ups every Monday and Thursday to help you build a better practice of mental health and surprising, funny and shocking conversations on Taboo Tuesdays, because the things we’re most hesitant to talk about are also the most normal. So join us to kickstart your emotional fitness. Let's flex those feels and do some reps together!

The Emotionally Fit podcast is produced by Coa, your gym for mental health. Katie Sunku Wood is the show’s producer from StudioPod Media with additional editing and sound design by Nodalab, and featuring music by Milano. Special thanks to the entire Coa crew!

JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:

(01:20) - Alessandra on being diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder - “It was this juxtaposition of like ‘Wow, I'm finally happy that I know what I am, but I can't share this with the world so I'm going to have to suffer in silence.’”

(9:18) - The first time Alessandra talked about mental health in public - “Once the first two questions were done, I was like ‘Okay, this is weird. What do we talk about now?’ I was supposed to be holding a town hall for an hour, so I said, ‘I'm Alessandra. I'm Bipolar. Does anyone have any questions on mental health?’”

(13:44) - Opening up about her condition in an audition - “I said, ‘I want to thank you so much. I live with Bipolar Disorder and I've never read something on a script, never read words that have affected me so much, that have been said so beautifully.’”

(17:32) - What Bipolar Disorder feels like to Alessandra - “I didn't pick the best job for mental illness, but I can't imagine doing anything else. So I think that the drive that I have for the continuing of the rejection is what keeps me going.”

(22:08) - Alessandra’s fanbase and the special connection between Sci-Fi and mental health - “Every single person that I met at this convention, they shared their stories, their families’ stories about mental health, about their journeys, about alcoholism, drug addiction, everything. They're just open beings.”

(25:26) - Alessandra’s advice for people speaking openly about their mental health struggles - “You have to be ready. You have to have a support system that's behind you because if you get a negative reaction, you need to know that there is someone there that you can talk to about it. To brush it off.”