Twisti,

I was diagnosed with bi-polar variant Schizoaffective Disorder back in '07. I've been on disability ever since. I feel I've already gone on at length about my wife on these boards, so I'll merely summarize by saying that she is a very stabilizing force in my life, but it still helps a great deal to have somewhere to go where there are others who share my condition.

Up until I found these boards, I felt empty and alone. True, I had a supportive spouse (which is wonderful, don't get me wrong), but I didn't have anyone who could directly relate to the particular challenges I faced daily. Most of my family write me off as either eccentric or a liar, no matter how well-meaning they may be. In dealing with society, it's been my experience that they would rather blow me off than even try to understand. Such is the world we live in, I suppose.