I guess I mean "trigger" in a few ways, but I wanted to post in the bipolar forum because that is my most difficult diagnosis. She triggers my sobriety, anxiety, self-destruction, and bipolar in the sense that my parents never have and never will try to understand what I'm up against. Bipolar should mean that I can still function and be a little puppet on her whim. Bipolar is not a valid excuse for not being able to handle family reunions, dinner parties, funerals etc. If I can't show up and shape up I'm a bad/dramatic/selfish person who needs to get her act together. AA, therapy, and mental diagnosis are ugly things we don't want to talk about. We will not air the family's dirty laundry; the proper thing to do is to make a nice impression. After all what will the neighbors think?