I have 1 best friend of several years who understands because she's a CNA who has cared for many mentally ill during crisis.

I used to have my mother (my best friend ever, who I lived with) who I believe was on the bipolar spectrum, but she passed two years ago now.

Now, I'm a peer counselor at a locked down inpatient psych hospital. I have TONS of people to talk to, and have made friends with some of the other peers and one very cool MHT who actually gets it (slowly, of course).