Welcome back for season 2 of Off The Cuff, we are so happy to have you here.  We open up the season by talking to actress, mental health advocate and podcast host Alessandra Torresani.  Alessandra has been acting since she was a kid and has appeared in countless movies and TV shows including The Big Bang Theory, Caprica, American Horror Story, Malcolm In The Middle, and many more.

Knowing something was not quite right for most of her life, Alessandra was finally diagnosed with Bi–Polar 1 when she was 21 years old.  Since then, Alessandra has made it her mission to spread mental health awareness and create a community so people feel less alone.  Which is also why she started her mental health podcast “EmotionAL Support.”

We have an extremely honest and funny conversation about our experiences with bi-polar disorder and what her life has been like as an actress with bi-polar disorder.  And yes, we said funny, mental health is allowed to be funny!   We can’t be serious all the time, so we mine as well have a good laugh about everything we’ve been through, right?

So listen up, and let’s talk, Off The Cuff….

What We Discuss:

• [4:01] How Alessandra deals with internet trolls and how it affects hers and others mental health.
• [5:40] How Alessandra dealt with rejection as a child actress and how she deals with it today.
• [7:43] A current day in the life of a working actress since the pandemic.
• [9:26] How Danny found out he was bi-polar.
• [12:28] The differences between Bi-Polar 1 and Bi-Polar 2.  
• [14:47] Alessandra’s bi-polar symptoms before she was diagnosed later in life.
• [15:57] What Alessandra’s episodes look like and how her husband deals with them.
• [17:17] Telling your partner about being bi-polar.
• [22:55] Feeling very low lows, especially before going on medication.
• [26:13] The judgment surrounding mental health medications.
• [28:36] How being on set is Alessandra’s safe space, rarely having episodes while working.
• [30:13] What it was like when she got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 
• [32:01] Alessandra’s first acting gig with David Spade.
• [34:47] The initial signs Alessadnra had of being bipolar.
• [36:43] What high highs feel like.
• [40:00] How Danny had resentment towards his parents growing up, but how the relationship has now changed very positively.  
• [42:41] Alessandra’s relationship with her mother and the sacrifices her mother has made for her.
• [44:00] What it’s like memorizing lines with Bi-Polar type 1.  
• [48:49] If having bi-polar has helped her as an artist.
• [49:56] Why Alessandra started her podcast “EmotionALl Support”. 
• [51:46] Alessandra’s goal of creating a community for mental health. 
• [53:39] Alessandra’s favorite genre to perform.

Notable Quotes:

[30:50] “I don’t know if it’s a safe space or my mind tricks itself into being happy, but I have yet to have a manic episode on set because I think I’m just escaping into a different reality.  My brain just shuts off that part.”

[49:26] “I’m a firm believer in therapy and working on yourself.  Not just traditional therapy, but whatever that therapy means to you."

Useful Resources:

Alessandra Toressani Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/alessandratorresani/

EmotionAL Support Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotional-support-with-alessandra-torresani/id1476940278

1AND1LIFE Website:  https://www.1and1life.com

Off The Cuff Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/

Danny LoPriore Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

A writer from Columbus, Ohio. Writing was always something she had a knack for, but once she started her undergraduate experience, she found that writing was a passion she wanted to pursue more seriously. In 2017, she graduated with a B.A. in journalism and media communications. Pursuing this field allowed her to develop her skills as a writer, and with time and hard work, she sent out work published by MTV, Huffington Post, Black Excellence, Hustle TV, and Elite Daily.

She uses her writing to talk about fitness and mental health/wellness, for which she is an advocate. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, staying active, and discovering unique ways to connect with people.

Rachel started her career as a coach working in the fitness industry. She quit her New York City advertising job and switched to personal training and group fitness at a large and highly touted gym, Equinox. Not long after her move to Equinox, she became a top trainer receiving the Fusion Award for being most prolific in personal training and group fitness.

Rachel also has her Masters Degree in Psychology at New York University with a focus in mental health counseling. Her philosophy is that we can only be so well if we take the best care of our body, but forget about our mind. After finishing graduate school, she worked at a psychoanalytic clinic to begin her therapy practice while also continuing private training. She believes that mental health should be approached like an athlete, having discipline, adaptability, and skill.

Rachel has been featured on Good Morning America as a fitness expert, has been named most influential trainer by Womens Health, and is a Mental Health Guide with Athleta’s community brand AthleteWell. She now operates her business doing private personal training and mental health therapy.

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Ryan C. Warner, Ph.D., CRC, assists teams with creating a culture of inclusion to maximize their potential. Dr. Warner is a sought-after licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, speaker, and consultant. His research interests involve PTSD and substance use, clinical health psychology, and the analysis of social forces affecting racial/ethnic minorities. However, he also considers himself a generalist and is fascinated by all aspects of the study of human experience. Dr. Warner has conducted talks and trainings at both national and international levels, has been published in various peer-review journals, and has served as a graduate-level instructor. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of RC Warner Consulting, LLC, Dr. Warner provides leadership development, diversity training, and wellness enhancement to accelerate meaningful change within small and large organizations around the globe. Presented by 1AND1 Life inc.

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On this episode, we decided to show the episode that inspired this entire show, Danny was actually a guest before he was the host. He sits down with Co-Founder of 1AND1LIFE Thomas Drew to talk about mental health and their journeys back from darkness into the light.

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