I can totally relate as well.

My brother who is my only family member still alive (my parents have both passed on) has told me that I have borderline personality disorder, my mood swings are too much for him to handle, and I have ruined the last 12+ years of his life due to my hospitalizations...etc due to my manic episodes...etc.

I asked my former psychiatrist if I have borderline personality disorder and he said no.

If I get angry with my brother or show any genuine emotion with him he interprets it as a sign of my bipolar disorder. So, unless I am emotionally flat and pretend what he has said to me and acted like towards me doesnt bother me.....he thinks everything is ok and that I am acting "normal".

When I started my BA in PSY my Mom would make fun of my choice and said it was a fluff program. And would call up her relatives to brag about my brother's academic accomplishments. I never did very well in grades K-12.