I can relate entirely. I have a very rich support group who would do about anything to protect me. They help me by encouraging me and bolstering my spirit. However, they also nag me at times and treat me as a child. They sometimes assume I'm better when in reality I'm worse. They have far greater expectations of me than I can contain and they often ask me embarrasing questions like "have you thought about suicide today?" I appreciate the love and support they offer tremendously but I know that they don't really understand.

I also feel the need to hide it from the majority of those in my life. That said, I often advocate for mental health awareness, especially in bipolar disorder, on facebook.