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)