The scenario is pretty typical. You have a psychiatric diagnosis for which you need therapy or take medication, but you are upset for some unrelated reason. Let's say you're down with a migraine, and you need to take it easy, but your family isn't cooperating. So the conversation goes like this:

"Frank, would you PLEASE stop teasing the dog and making him bark? The noise hurts my head. Louise, I asked you hours ago to wash the dishes, and you haven't touched them." Just then you trip and almost sprain your ankle over the toy your youngest child left in the hallway. "Jack! How many times have I told you to keep your toys in your playroom?"

To which Frank responds, "Wow, sweetheart, you sure are grouchy. Have you been taking your medication?"

This, of course, is more than suggesting that your anger is *only* because of your psychiatric diagnosis, and not because you have anything to be legitimately annoyed about. His attitude ticks you off royally, and now you're even more upset. But anything you say or do in response, he's just going to write off as, "Oh, there she goes again. She's in one of her moods."

From there it may build up to the point where you really do end up in a crisis. You need professional intervention before you reach the end of your rope and hurt yourself. At which point Frank will say, "Now, see? I knew you were building up to this. I could tell when you started griping all over and me and the kids."

I think it hardly needs to be pointed out that it was exactly Frank's indifference and lack of support that CAUSED you to "build up" to a crisis.

I see it all the time. As said in the post title, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I know you're off in the head, and you're about to blow up and have an episode. In fact, I'm going to make sure of it. I'm going to keep needling you until you do, so I can say I told you so."

I don't mean only spouses/partners or other family members. Casual acquaintances can do it too. All that's required is that someone knows you well enough to be aware that you have a diagnosis and take medication. How can we with the diagnoses defuse these situations on our end, then, because we obviously can't change what's going to happen on theirs?