I think when it comes to family members they have certain expectations based on our past with them, when we were "healthy". As has been said so many times, MI is so misunderstood - we don't show traditional physical signs of an illness and it doesn't show up on an x-ray.

When my MI hit I became so frustrated with my siblings because they didn't understand it. They challenged everything and I began to question myself. "What was I doing wrong?" "Why couldn't I make my self do ___?" ... And they treated me like I was an idiot, telling me what I needed to do and how to go about doing it.

They didn't get it until I was hospitalized on suicide watch and I let them talk to my pdoc. After that, things got better. When I told my mother, after 10 years of treatment, my pdoc mentioned mine was more than likely hereditary and based on what I had told her it came from her side of the family. My mother became indignant, saying I didn't get it from her.

It is so very frustrating, but remember they don't understand. Believe what your T is telling you. And if your family won't stop with their negativity, tell them they can't possibly understand and you don't want to hear it.