Hello everyone! I am new to this site and really feel that your advice may help me.

My boyfriend is bipolar. We have been together almost a year.I have never been with someone who is bipolar, and he did not tell me his condition,until about 4 months into the relationship. I truly love him, and want him to be happy, but as of late, I am not sure if i am helping, or just need to let this relationship go, as painful as it may be.

Let me give you a history of what has been going on, from my side.

When we first started dating, it went very fast. He would call often, from the very beginning, and I have never been in a relationship before, where a man was so attentive. I was very impressed, thinking he must really like me, and be interested in getting to know me better. But sometimes, I would sit back and wonder why he was calling so much, so soon. I am a little needy from time to time, but even for me, it was kind of...strange. But, the relationship was all new, so I just enjoyed the attention. After about 3 dates, he told me he knows we are going to get married one day, and that he just knew i was the one for him. I would say to him.."you dont even know me"..and he said that he just new, and that i should get ready for the "silver screen" life with him. I was very impressed, but still guarded, do to this being a very new relationship. I just figured he was a little infatuated with me.

Everything continued to go very well, and eventaully we moved in together, along with my daughter. He proposed to me, and I was not ready yet, but said yes, figuring that it would be a very long engagement. He has a son, but his son has been adopted by his mom and dad. He had a son when he was 17, and the girl was 15. He felt he was too young, and his parentw agreed, so his son never has lived with him, and he does visit and attend school functions from time to time. My partner is currently in law school, almost finished, and is very busy.

I met his son and family, and everything was going very well. He has a great kid, and my daughter gets along very well with him. I was very happy, thinking what a great relationship, and very happy with how well our families were blending together with ease. I did, however, always have a wonder about why his son, when he got older, did not come to live with his dad, and why communication between the two was more like a friendship, then a father and son. But, i figured that the son had bonded with the grandparents, and it is what it is. Having a daughter myself, I could not grasp the concept of being apart from my child like that, but my partner expalined to me that his son was adopted when he was a baby because the mother left after he was born and is on drugs, lives in another state, and wants nothing to do with her son at all. My partner and his parents believed for the best interest of the child, that they would raise him, so my partner could finish high school, and continue on to college. He is now alomost finished with law school.

After moving in, I noticed things started to change, and very quickly. I had been in a previous relationship for 5 years, and we lived together. I understand that things will change when people live together, especially as soon as we did. And way too soon, indeed.

All was going well until one evening my partner came home from class and was lying on the couch. Normally, when he came home, he was talkative and asked how eveyones day went. This evening, he was lying in the couch, with a migraine. I just figured that he didnt feel well, so I asked if I could do anything for him, and what was going on. He became very irritated with me, and flew off the couch twrd me, and started an emotional assult. He was saying that i was picking at him, would not leave him alone, and that he just wanted to be left alone. I was very upset at the way he was talking to me, and I started crying. My daughter was in the other room, but im sure she could hear what was going on, and that really upset me. He didnt even care, he jsut sat in a chair, stared at me, and had no reaction at all to the way he was behaving. I explained to him that I was scared of his reaction, and wanted to know what was going on. It was lamost like a personality change. He then said " I told you I am bipolar."

I was never told that, and had no idea that this is what bipolar is. Things calmed down, and he began to tell me that he felt he was entering one of his "dark" phases of his disorder. He then explained to me that this happens to him 3-4 times a year, then expalined how his works when this occurs. He explained that he will not talk, sometimes for a week at a time--to anyone, extreame irritability and mood swings, sex drive is very high when manic, and zero when not. All of these things he was explaing really scared me, adn i felt very deceived becasue after moving in, and most importantly my daughter is there, also--i had a bombshell dropped on me. I didnt know what to do. So, i started to do research, and speak with him more and more about how he is feeling. I wanted to make sure this is someone my daughter and myself could live with, and that it wa a healthy environment for us all.

Well, the bahavior continued, and i broke things off and moved out. He kept trying to get me back, explaining that things will get better, and he would try harder, and he is on meds to help, so i took him back, but did not move in, and took things slow. Now, its been a few months, and now he is almost done with school, has better self esteem and all seems to be going well. Until, one night, he was upset i was not in the bedroom ( he was sleeping, so i went on the couch to watch tv), and wanted me to come back to bed. I explained that i was watching tv and didnt want to keep him awake with the noise. he then changed again, and climbed on the table, would not get down until i got into bed with him, and when i said that he was acting crazy, he then took all my things and threw them into the hallway.

I was so upset, but being 2am, i expalined i would leave in the morning. He finally left into the bedroom, and the next morning, i packed up and left. As i was leaving, he told me he had felt i was yelling at him too much, and he felt distant from me. And, then he told me he thought i am bipolar, and need to get checked out. I was so upset. after all the beinding over backwards, trying to mkake peace, helping build him up--then this!!!

I explained i need to think about things, and figure out if this is going anywhere. I do love him, but im not sure if this is just time to walk away.

ANy adive? Thanks.