I think this is a common Bipolar struggle. We're used to putting on a front as long as we can manage it. And then when we can't do it anymore, we alienate our friends because we can't keep pretending to be someone we're not.

I made some pretty good friends at my old job, but I put on a very good front at that job where I was the leader, the strong one. I spent those years solving a lot of their problems while none of them really knew what I struggled with. Now that I don't work there anymore and our conversations turned to what meds my pdoc is trying on me now, I find we reach out to each other less and less.

The problem is, I like being isolated. Just me, DH, my kids, comfy couch, warm blanket, Netflix binges. Interacting with others exhausts me, even though I know it's good for me to do it. I'm in my own way of my mental health sometimes.

If nothing else, at least you have this social outlet. It helps to talk to others who understand what you're going through.