Actress and host of the EmotionAL podcast Alessandra Torresani and mental health educator Victoria Maxwell discuss topics of resiliency and living with bipolar disorder, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. They talk about peer support, creating boundaries and practicing self-care. 

Hosted by Dr. Erin Michalak. 

Alessandra Torresani is an actress, podcast host, and mental health advocate who lives well with bipolar disorder. Her television credits include appearances on American Horror Story, Caprica, and the immensely successful sitcom the Big Bang Theory as a recurring character. As a mental health advocate, she is an ambassador for the US-based National Alliance on Mental Health, and hosts the EmotionAL Support podcast, a funny, candid and highly-reviewed podcast where she brings on a guest to talk about mental health and to break through stigma. 

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, psychosis, and anxiety, Victoria Maxwell has become one of North America’s top speakers and educators on the lived experience of mental illness and recovery, dismantling stigma and returning to work after a psychiatric disorder. As a performer, her funny, powerful messages about mental wellness create lasting change in individuals and organizations. By sharing her story of mental illness and recovery she makes the uncomfortable comfortable, the confusing understandable. The Mental Health Commission of Canada named her keynote That’s Just Crazy Talk as one of the top anti-stigma interventions in the country.

#talkBD gathers researchers, people with lived experience, healthcare providers, and top bipolar disorder experts from around the world to discuss and answer the most important questions about living with bipolar disorder. Learn more about the talkBD Bipolar Disorder Podcast and upcoming episodes at https://talkBD.live