It's fine. I don't care if my threads weeve and bob off topic. I have always been the black sheep of my family too. My brother is also in recovery for addiction/alcoholism but I am the only one with serious mental illness. My sister takes an antidepressant but it has always worked and she never gets it real bad. Two brothers and one sister all professionals and very successful in life. Not that they don't have problems, they do. I have had a good career as a plumber but hitting bottom and getting sober is like starting all over and then the setbacks with depression and now here I sit waiting on an appeal for SSD and it has been over a year since we appealed. I spent 15 out of 18 months in bed suicidal depression. Pdoc, T, family all told me to apply. That idea had never entered my head before. I still have lots of skills and opportunities but how do you get a full time good job with lots of responsibility and good pay and then miss a month of work and expect them to put up with it. Ain't gonna happen. I was so lucky I had an AA buddy for a boss for 11 years who did put up with me missing three to four months a year. I ran his business and he needed me and we worked it out. He was hella cool. I worked from home as much as I could when down and he covered for me in the field. Still didn't get paid for all that time missed.

And yes people in recovery and people with mental illness are by far my best support. My family is great but they can't ever truly get it. I have some cool friends but same with them.