caden

Venting.

If I hear it suggested one more time that bipolar disorder:

is in my mind

is controllable, only if I wanted to try and concentrate

is a blanket excuse for everything wrong in my life

is my obsession

then you will be reading about me getting in my lawn chair
with 20 weather balloons and flying away!

Sheesh. I buy these people books. Kay Jamison is a great
reference, but unfortunately only gets used as a dust collector.

This is the first time, since age 13, that I really wish I
had been born to a more loving, intelligent, and compassionate
family. I'm running away from home at 31 (in a lawn chair!).

kathy gallagher

Good luck!

KG

ounauthorizedo

I'm 31 and have the same problem except I get it from my girlfriend
but I have to live with her and I hate it. I loved my parents because
they supported my illnesses 100 percent my whole life. I whish I still
had them. I'm downloading the plans for that lawn chair airship. Just
me and my iggy. Oh and my computer. I'm on disability but can't live
alone and that double ****s! Even if you print out a book of
information and give it to them, they'll read and think. Then they
probrably won't apply it to you so don't drive yourself nuts. They
will come around when they realize it hasn't gone away after a couple
of years but don't do any dramatic things like attempt a fake suicide
or intensional mood swings because then they'll think its for
attention maybe. I don't know if I made sense but my point was
supposed to be constructive. Every time I post I lose sense of
direction but I hope it helps you.
1/2 of Alex

johannesjones

i have never had a family who made an attempt at understanding.I can
face the world alone,and die alone.

diane

I'm blessed with a wonderful husband, but... sometimes I don't think he
really *gets* it. I try to explain when I'm tense that I'm not snapping at
him, I'm trying to fight off an anxiety attack and some tension is creeping
through. I feel bad when I snap at him. I try to explain that when I cry,
it's not necessarily because something is wrong. It could just be a mood
episode. I try to explain that he can't fix it, but that holding my hand
helps. I don't think a non-bipolar person can really understand what it's
like to get angry for no reason whatsoever, no matter how willing they are
to try. I'm sorry you have to deal with people who don't seem to be trying
too hard. All we can do is try to help them understand that this is real -
and it's not our "fault".

Diane