So I've read that people who are BP and have a great support network tend to cope better with the illness. This is something I'm trying to work on right now. I tend to distance myself from friends because I'm either feeling depressed and don't want to be a debbie downer, I feel they won't truly understand me or I'm just not feeling social. I find it hard for people to fully understand what I'm going through and I think this is what interferes with me getting closer to others.

I discussed with my therapist this past week that I realize this is an area I have to work on because in the long run it will help me most battle BP. I don't work well with big groups of people, but I've reached out to friends to meet for lunch or dinner, etc. I think by being on this forum I'm also reaching out to you all who can relate.

How do you build on your support network? Any suggestions?