My friends know I am BP. I have been through "episodes" of hypomania, mixed modes, and depression. They know that if I am not medicated properly I can spin into depression. They know with my mixed mode all of the terrible problems I had. I sometimes could not function when I was with them at the restaurant. They know I have had episodes like this all my life. They know due to crashes I
have lost my last two jobs.

Every so often, one tells me that he thinks I should go of of all my medications. I though they were the ones with the mental problems when they suggested such a thing. Are they crazy? Obviously I need to be on medication.

Then it has just occurred to me why they thought this way. Even though I have been on medication all the time, I still had these problems. So they thought it was the drugs doing this to me. This is where the stigma of BP and the meds came into the picture. They might of also thought since the meds are not working, maybe I would be better without them. The meds did actually cause my hands to shake so much.

What about finding the right meds and the possibility of remission? How about no more crashing and not being able to hold down a job months at a time? How about no more terrible mixed modes? How about no more panic attacks? This appears to be an enlightened viewpoint for them. So my friends have not been very supportive, in particular concerning my meds, and therefore, my BP diagnosis.

So who else has had people in their lives tell them they need to get off of the meds you are on? How did you feel about this?