We are feuding again, sparked by an email he sent me earlier today. I need to keep this short because it could easily span pages so...basically I have wrestled with BP2 for about 6-7 yrs now, tried half a dozen meds and ultimately ended up relying on self-medicating with mostly alcohol. It spun out of control in the last 2 yrs and resulted in some legal headaches, now mostly over. I can't say enough about my parent's unwavering support throughout and I'm trying to repay the debt I feel. But in a nutshell my father has been badgering me to take lithium which I refuse to do; he also says he is tired of "covering" for me by which I took him to mean, hiding things (about me) from the women in my life. Since he is incapable of having a rational conversation, he only assumes things, never asks, for instance, "Are you being honest with your fiancee about your bi-polarism?" No, that would be too easy.

My father is now not so well, he's 67 and is facing a number of ailments resulting from 40 yrs of insulin-dependent diabetes and is understandably worried about what will happen to my mother after he has gone. And I'm trying to be a good son and put my problems behind me but he just continues to hammer on these issues, particularly the lithium one.

I want to be there for my mother in all this but I'm not going to relent re the lithium issue. As I have detailed here, I'm determined to use exercise, meditation and some natural supplements to keep my mood swings in line. I won't lie to you and say it's been easy but certainly eliminating alcohol from the equation has helped matters.

Some of you seem quite wise and it would be great to have some input. Obviously I want to be there for my folks in their older ages but I'm not going to tolerate the kind of assumptions my father continues to make about me and my recovery. It just makes it very hard to love him-and hurts my mother for her to see it all . Thanks for listening.