trying to make family or friends understand bp is useless

I find it so frustrating that it feels like all I ever hear from family or friends is that everyone is messed up somehow, "hell I'm probably bp too" like its a darn choice to be sick, to be consumed, to want to cry all the time, or to fight like hell not to pick up the sharp object and cut yourself. Like I choose to be depressed instead of putting on a false front so everyone else can go on like nothings wrong. Its Not a darn choice. If it were I wouldn't be this way. I wouldn't hurt so bad, I would choose not to cry, not to hurt, not to feel tormented by my past.....the sexual assaults wouldn't matter, being abandoned by my parents wouldn't matter, being raped wouldn't matter. Breathing wouldn't matter.

People don't understand, they just don't, especially if they are mentally healthy, can roll with the punches of life effortlessly. "Probably I'm bipolar, too" says it all. Doesn't have a clue.
Save your breath. Limit your contact with them. Quit trying to explain yourself to them.
There are lots of support groups, call your local hospital and social service should be able to help you. Try a few.
Do you have a therapist or someone to talk to? Someone who can listen and not judge? Maybe give some tips?
With BP and PTSD you would benefit from that. Taking meds? Its helpful.
I know, the holidays are stressful, and here comes all those friends and relatives, =-(
Good luck with that, we all are in the same boat.
Continue to vent here. People care.

I'm sorry I haven't responded to anyone. Yes I do have a psych and regular therapist. My doc upped my lithium to 900mg along with the other stuff today. I know the friends and family care....they really do. But its just frustrating to have your mental illness trivialized by others That think the hard times they go thru put them in the same category. Idk you can't make them see how different it is. How strong you are
everyday just because your still breathing. They'll thankfully never know how hard that is to do some days.

hey, im new to this i have bpd i think im about to lose my best friend , coz of what Ive done in my past, she is the only person i trust and im 21
how to make a friend understand that your not trying to hurt them? i cant seem to get that throught ideass???

Have faith bipolar disorder is a series of ups and downs. If you look at it like I do and know that life ebbs and flows even for people with out a diagnosis you might be able to bear the downs. Pray alot, seek company through people that care and you are sure they will be through it with you thick or thin. There is hope. Trust. signed your comrade in illness j.h.

Yeah, I had to cancel a three hour drive to visit my sister - too many appointments and unpacking a house...she made a point of telling me that she didn't tell her kids I was coming for the visit...trying to follow doctor's advice and not try to do too much...already unpacking a house...the guilt felt horrible, but do they want me responsible and functioning again? or do they like to have someone to be reliably this or that - to point at...very cynical i am tonight...

Sigh, this is such a horrible part to what we go through living with this illness.

I have learned never to tell co workers, bosses etc. But family and friends....this is where we should be able to feel accepted the way we are. However, I have to agree with my HW family here. It just doesn't happen for the most part I find.

My heart was just broken into a million pieces this past Sunday. My boyfriend of 5 years has not been able to come to any kind of understanding, and then 3 weeks ago we had our first conversation where he was expressing his concern and being supportive and encouraging for me to talk to him about the episode I was in at that time. I was blown away, He had never spoken with such compassion and he even used bp facts. I wrote in my journal the next day how touched I was. I felt so elated and hopeful and ACCEPTED, finally. But most important I did feel understood. That all went to h*** Sunday.

We understand how you feel. Almost all of us experience this and it's just terrible, My family too judges me constantly.

Thank goodness we have each other here :)

I think that is why all of us are here. :) It's so good to have a forum for these conversations.

((((MMMNAVY)))) Thanks for the hugs you!!

Hope everyone is doing okay. I know that we are so brave for living through this illness each day. Today was another depression battle for me, but I went to work and put my "bp mask" on and even now at home, I am still controlling how I am feeling.

We have a TON of snow here where I live and we are supposed to get more tonight, so I am truthfully hoping for a snow day from work tomorrow. One day would go a long way at this point.

My Mum won't even Talk about it. And When I try, she just changes the subjects or says 'Yeah, yeah' .. She tells me to snap out of it. The only person who get's me is my Partner, Because her Mum also Bipolar.
& Now because the Seroquel makes me sleep a lot, I can fight it some days but not others as the palpitations become to much. All Im getting is, 'Oh so you'll be sleeping Christmas will you, that's not fair on everyone else'.... Ok Ok, so i miss a couple of doses, mess up my moods for the month. But as long as I'm awake Christmas, everyone else is happy! Yeah OK guys. And thats because of they're Ignorance towards The Illness.

Keep Postive :)

Not2L8 - Thank You. I plan On taking my evening dose at the same time and my partners going to wake me early hours of the morning to take my day dose. That way not missing any what so ever, and just taking a couple of hours early. May be up a tiny bit later than usually would Christmas day, however will be a lot better for everyone else. I was taking the full dose on an evening, however we didn't find it very helpful and my Psychiatrist thought would be more helpful to split it. Iv only been taking the medication since September and have been told will take a little messing around to get the dosage and the time I take it right. I just don't want to spoil Christmas for any of my family or myself after such a rubbish year, so I assumed if keeping my moods Balanced meant sleeping of my meds, then so be it. But as you said, they know No better. Hopefully in time, they will clue up about it a little more. Thank you :)

Merry Christmas Brian.....
It's never easy dealing with the illness around others especially family. Hearing "snap out of it" or "you can choose how it affects you" is hurtful and thoughtless. Most think tough love is the best thing they can give you, not realizing simple love and acceptance would do more.
I'm happy you were able to find us here........feel free to ask any questions you choose. It's also awesome that you felt comfortable enough to chime in.