When I came home from the psych hospital last year the first thing my mom did was totally berate me about "letting" myself be diagnosed as bipolar. She demanded that I call and demand they change my diagnosis. I refused. Then she wanted me to go off the meds they had prescribed at the time (Wellbutrin, Depakote and Ativan). I refused. After that she and my Dad refused to visit us because they said my husband is a snake in the grass and had convinced me I was crazy. That was a total, absolute lie. If it had not been for my husband I would be dead right now.

Now my parents are making it clear that my diagnosis is an embarrassment and not something I really have. My mom keeps telling me I just can't handle stress well. Really? Is that why I dealt with working 40 hours per week while going to grad school full time, two miscarriages, a nightmare pregnancy and my marriage almost falling apart without killing myself? Because I can't handle stress well? When I said that to her she just said that she doesn't know why I could handle it then but not now. I so badly want to point out that there have been hundreds of times over the years when she has acted completely psychotic and had insane mood swings that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. I would bet every penny I have that she's bipolar 1.

It totally pisses my husband and I off because we feel like they need to admit that I am mentally ill and provide support rather than devoting all of their time trying to convince me I'm just fine and the way I was prior to being diagnosed was totally normal. How do your families view your bipolar? Are they supportive or pretty much jerks about it?