I've got both and between the two of them I am fighting the urge to isolate big-time. To make it worse, I just moved from a place I lived for 21 years. The few friends I have from there are not bipolar and gloss over that part of me and overlook my social awkwardness. I think they keep in touch (very rarely) because they feel sorry for me.

How does one get over the shame of what I did when bipolar and fill in the blanks when you're getting to know someone? I lost 10 years of my life trying to get control of BP. I never know what to say when people inevitably bring up those years and ask what I was up to. So I flip out inside and my social anxiety takes over. I feel like my entire life is a big fake because I can't disclose to new people for fear of running them off.

I've tried support groups. Everyone's problems are huge and mine seems not worth talking about.

Point being, I'm lonely and feel like giving up on ever having friends.