I've been there with an ex and a few old friends. It might be very helpful if your boyfriend could go to an appointment or to group therapy with you.

Maybe you could also tell him that you were dead wrong about your dad. You saw your father's episodes and made the assumption that everything he said while manic was a reflection of how he really felt instead of being the result of an illness. You didn't fully grasp what it's like to have a manic episode until you had one of your own.

I hope things work out.