I have had such a hard time with people not believing I had a problem. A few bad interactions with people after I first reached out for help led to me refraining from doing so for some odd years. But it's important to remember that there are many people out there who are on your side and will believe you. Like all of us on here.

It took a while for my mom to come around, but I think I've shown her what a bipolar life sort of looks like. She is such a supportive and loving mom, but it took some time for her to understand my illness. Now I am blessed to have her on my side fighting bp with me.

Try as best you can to build your support system. If someone really loves you, and you express in the gentlest of ways that you feel like you have a pain inside of you that you don't know how to talk about, that might be the first step in getting them to become part of your bipolar alliance. Your family loves you, but the love is stuck in between them and their lack of understanding of how painful it is sometimes to live to with bipolar.