Welcome, YoMunchee! You will find warm welcome and supportive friends, and well as information here. You pose an excellent question. The best place to start might be with a therapist or mental health clinic, if not a private psychiatrist. He/She might be guide you as to how to talk to friends and family. You will find better information than I can give you, as I have been wondering that same thing for many years. Once you are under treatment, have a diagnosis, and maybe have a case manager, things might be easier to explain. I know that when my family visits I have to struggle not to let them know that, actually, I stay in bed all day, most days. They have no idea why I would do that, unless I was "lazy." however, they semi-understand that I go to a mental health clinic and have a case manager and they kind of take that in stride. Your family is probably not as judgemental as mine, however. I don't think they could be! Hope I'm right. Caring About You, and wanting to Welcome You. billieJ