Dear Blue, Have you tried things like folk dancing, community college classes, drawing or other creative activities? These really help me, and a lot of people with bipolar disorder to help feel better. Where I live, there are a lot of traditional dances. It's not necessary to bring a partner, and these are not partner dances anyway. It's a great way to get exercise.

But it seems to me your major problem is your family yelling at you, perhaps not approving of you, or your talents, or things you like to do. Are you over 18? Or whatever age it is in your state or country that qualifies you as an adult. If you are, I highly suggest you do your darndest to find a place of your own. Can you find a shared house? I used to share a rental house with 3 other students, when I was in college. It was a pretty nice setup. The ad they put on the college's housing bulletin board said, "Must like cats!" That was for me!! We had two cats!!!

It used to take me 2-1/2 years to find a good friend, when I'd move to another city, which happened frequently since my then husbands moved around a lot, for no reason. When I moved from a smaller city to a bigger one 20 years ago, it took 5 years for me to find a close friend. I didn't get along with my family either. I moved out when I was 17 but was never able to support myself due to lack of stamina and depression. I finally applied for Social Security Disability and 2 years later, I qualified and got it.

Getting away from my dad was the best thing I ever did.