Sometimes family members are not the ones to look to for support & understanding. In my case, my father was "there is no such thing as mental illness." He thought depression was being lazy, self-centered, spoiled & manipulative.

Mind you, my mother (his wife) had a dx of bp, was in & out of mental institutions, had ECT & every medication known at that time, & committed suicide & he still thinks it is all a crock!

Needless to say, when I was dx w/ bp he wasn't someone I would approach for support. I had to distance myself from him while I was trying to heal. I was in a bad depression & knew he would discount it & tell me to "get off my *** & be productive."

I have found support through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness--I think that is their new politically correct name) & DBSA (Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance). Maybe check into groups in your area. Wishing you well.--Suzy