I have one friend with bp. it's kind of weird to hang around them when they talk about it. it's like listening to myself. I can give all the right advice to him, but when it comes to me, I act clueless. Sometimes I feel that it helps, but other times it can trigger me. especially when they are going through a hard time.

does any one else have this issue with those around them.

[comicgeek007]

I have that issue with a very close friend who is also bulimic. I don't have any friends who are BP, though.

It took me forever to admit that not only did I have a problem, but it was the same as hers because I was afraid of being hypocritical. I feel better now that I've told her and my T, though.

It's difficult, but I guess you have to accept that we are all only human and we're gonna make mistakes. Sometimes we can't follow our own advice. Sometimes what we really need is for our friend to tell us the same lines we told them.

[Moose72]

I had a friend who is bp. It was kind of annoying because it seemed like such an easy subject, yet I didn't want to listen to him talk about it.

[BipolaRNurse]

My son's mother-in-law is bipolar (our poor kids---imagine being a couple cursed with TWO bipolar moms!!) and we have some awesome discussions! I also run an online support group for nurses with mood disorders, plus I just started a page on FB called Disorder'ly Conduct: The Adventures of Bipolarnurse. And, I hang out here pretty often, so I definitely have plenty of folks to talk to about this stuff. Which is a good thing, because my family sure doesn't understand it, even though they try hard and are a great support system for me when I'm symptomatic.

[faerie_moon_x]

I used to have a "friend" when I was in college who was bp 1. This was long before I knew I had it, although a lot of what she said made sense to me when she would talk about it.

this was back during my big giant delusional period, and she was one of the people who witnessed it and did nothing. When I divorced my ex she made it very clear that she had never been my friend at all. But, that became double clear once I was made aware of what I went through.

Otherwise my mother-in-law has bipolar and lives with us. It's nice to live with someone who understands sometimes. But it's also hard when she hits a cycle. She has bipolar 1 also.

And then, I think my husband has it but he won't go see a doctor about it.

[thickntired]

Yes, I can relate!

I joined a dysfunctional bipolar support group and quit going. Two of the women I exchanged numbers with there were contacting me non-stop, and acting like I was some kind of therapist. They went so far as to ask me to start a group and lead it?! I've had to step away and put up boundaries, as they both have suicidal ideations. I just gave them the contact info for professionals in our area and told them to make an appointment. I can barely balance my own bs without a lot of added drama.

To thine own self be true,

TnT

[Cocosurviving]

I "had" a BP frd (before my onset). She would talk abt it sometimes. I could relate a little b/c of my line of work. Right before my onset she stopped answering her phone. After being close friends for 5 yrs. She walked out of my life. I tried contacting her on FB too.

I have 2 sisters w/ BP. The older of the 2 hasn't bothered learning much abt the condition. She basically just take her meds and that's it. The younger sister refuses to talk abt BP. In her mind she'll deal w/ it only when and if she has a episode.

[Victoria'smom]

My husband has bp and some family and friends have untreated bipolar. We don't really talk about it at all but we all pull each other through episodes.