Why Mental Health Conversations Are More Important Than Ever - Alessandra Torresani

Having made her television debut at just 9 years old, Alessandra Torresani is well-known for her roles in The Big Bang Theory, Caprica, Arrested Development and Malcolm in the Middle. In our interview with Alessandra, she gets candid about navigating adult life as an actress after she was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 at the age of 22. Despite being discouraged from talking about her mental health openly, Alessandra realized the importance of encouraging stigma-free conversations about mental health after she decided to share her story.  She said, “I’m Alessandra Torresani, and I am bipolar. Who wants to talk?” It turns out, a lot of people did. This “talk” kick-started her advocacy to normalize talking about mental health issues, and she has since started her own podcast, called EmotionAL Support, where she discusses mental health with her guests.   In this episode, we discuss:  - Alexandra's childhood and her journey through misdiagnosis - The importance that documenting both highs and lows has on receiving an accurate diagnosis - Alessandra’s work with NAMI, and the conference where she shared her bipolar diagnosis - How toxic positivity discourages people from talking about their struggles - Finding emotional support and comfort  - The difference between mental health and mental illness  - What we can do to help destigmatize the conversation around mental health According to Alessandra, it's vital that we start talking about mental health openly and encourage people to seek support and medical help when they need it. This is the only way to foster an environment where every single one of us can celebrate our individuality and uniqueness. Where to find Alessandra: Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAlessandraTorresani Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alessandratorresani/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALtorresani?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Clubhouse: https://clubhousedb.com/user/alessandratorresani LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandra-torresani-75178121/   Podcast: https://www.emotionalsupportpod.com/ Podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/emotionalpod Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emotionalsupportpod/ Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710491219388010/?source_id=298097584405277 Products: https://emotionalsupport.bigcartel.com/product/we-are-not-alone-img-x-emotional-support-mental-health-awareness-month-limited-edition National Alliance on Mental Illness (Nami): https://www.nami.org/Home   Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=23010497) This is an encore episode and was originally published on May 19, 2021.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices