Does anyone "present" to people as being better than they really are?

That's interesting -- I think I have become so good at it, it's a normal state to even hide from myself -- deny my own feelings...or not allow myself to feel stuff.

I was misdiagnosed with severe ADHD, and I have learned to not trust my inappropriate emotions (and hence hide them from others and myself) because I was tormented as a kid at school (by teachers and students alike) with statements like:

Did you take your hyper pills today?
Hey, look at him freak out--must not have taken his hyper pills!
Etc.

When I think about it, now, in light of my BP diagnosis, no wonder I hide behind an 'everything's fine' facade.

I think everyone, Bipolar or no, presents themselves better than they are. Nobody really wants others to know their weak points. As far as opening up to your psychologist, it's best to be open with them. Sure, you may get that one ignorant doctor who doesn't believe you, but any doctor who's remotely professional will take you seriously. Her taking you seriously will also allow you to be open and drop that guard of yours a little, so that she can better treat you. But, I realize all that is easier said than done. I just switched psychologists myself and I'm trying to let myself be more honest with him. It is hard, but worthwhile.

I hide it very well, too. I have to, to be able to work. On the weekends, I don't have to pretend my husband can tell.

Yes. I do. I am depressed to write more but I often feel like what do I need to do to get people to believe how messed up I am.

same here. Fear of being hospitalized (which has never happened to me yet, thank heavens) made me work hard to appear AOK. There were times when I couldn't but most of the time, I was able to seem fine.

All the time

I am flattened out a lot and I feign emotions or I hide my crazy to get out of the hospital faster.

I've been able to hide it for years.

No, you're not "being a bad patient by not expressing myself properly because it leads to therapy not being very productive... " It's what therapy and healing are about, and we go to professionals (e.g. therapists, psychiatrists) because they work to find the "you" you hide & teach you skills so you can choose not to do that.

Personally, I have a collection of facial masks & never leave home without one. There are some folks who both know me but don't know I'm one & the same "person"--I can present so differently. It's not by choice that I'm this way, just my default coping fake-out. My road is loooong .

RE: your post....
Maybe someone already suggested it and I missed it--missed or forgot two secs later ...

Could you print your PC posts, editing out everything (name, website, etc) except the actual text?

roads

Yes I do because there is still a big stigma about having any mental illness. I work really hard at appearing "AOK" until I have known a person for 6 months to a year. Then I decide whether or not I can trust them with this information. It shouldn't be like this but it is
I also for many years was able to fake it in front of some therapists. One psych MD decided I had schizophrenia (I was hallucinating due to severe insomnia during a manic phase of 2 months). Many years later, I decided to be totally open about it & a pdoc diag. me with what I'd self diag. at age 15: manic-depression/bipolar.
I wish that we could all trust everyone but the stigma has ruined that for me. I even "came out" about just my seizures & the woman literally shouted "You have EPILESPY! That is SO weird!!!" Obviously, I quit hanging out with her.

All the time! I tend to hide behind a mask so that I don't have to try to explain myself to people and to avoid the stigmas. I tell people that I feel it is necessary to know about my BP, but outside that I try to be reserved.

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The therapist that I used to see encouraged me to hide my symptoms from the general populace. She said "Fake it until you make it"

ALL THE TIME!!! I have a "game face." My fears? Hospitalization, my family worrying about me, maintaining appropriateness in public. However, when the depression gets really bad I hide. I text, e-mail, message rather than answer the phone. If someone wants to come over, I'm busy
Also, I hide from my feelings because I suffer and It's easier to store away than to face it. I'm very high functioning and most times I can pull it off.
I'm amazed at how many of you do the same thing I do.
Really, truly the only people I feel comfortable and safe enough is with you all. It's easy. We're not face to face. You don't know me and you understand. I can sit here and pour my heart out to you and feel safe doing it. Thank god for all of you

I'm amazed, along with you, Plzsti, at how many of us PC'ers do the same as you and me. Do you think it's because it works? or because we can't do it any other way?

roads

I do it so well that my a-hole shrink doesn't take me seriously.

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I agree with Plzsti this is one of the best places to truly be 100% open being it is an anonymous group of those that understand.

Interesting comment: Do we do it because it ''works'', or do we do it because we don't know any other way? (hide our turmoil) I need to think here. In the beginning, some 30 odd years ago I did try to hide the depression/mania/suicidal thoughts/sadness/anger but as times gone by and because everyone in the Psych world said I was an attention seeker, I hid it because I didn't know any other way. All this did was push me into a series of suicide attempts and consequently long stays in the Psych hospital. I too have a number of different ''heads'' which I never leave home without. However, when the depression REALLY hits I can't pretend any more so I take to my bed 22 hours a day and hide. It's sad because I live with my 79 year old Dad and he's had to witness my awful mood swings, suicide attempts and I know I've put my poor family through hell. I suffer BPD but it's only recently been considered worth investing in long term talking (DBT) treatments. I've had a few good weeks lately but I feel something slipping, I'm fighting to stay ''well'' but it's not entirely in my own hands. Only tonight did I tell my old school friend about some of my issues, we've known each other for 45 years. She having some psych problems now so I confided that I cut, self harm etc, she was completely blown away ~ she ''thought'' I was such a ''together'' person and could hardly believe it!! So yes, guess I've been good at pretending to be fine!!

I know I have to do it for a living. Working for myself and competing for work in a market where the consumer has to have confidence in their builder, I find myself constantly putting on a façade of a happy confident self starter who knows exactly what he is doing and is in total control. A person who can deliver what he says on time on budget and there will be no issue too big that we cannot overcome.

Then there is the me behind the scenes who stresses every time I start a new job for a new customer, one who doubts his abilities and lacks self confidence. I find myself constantly having to push my thoughts to the back of my mind, concentrate on each task one at a time, knowing that if I don't I will succumb to the demons in my head.

The only positive, of having OCD with the bipolar is it makes me predictably compulsive. It makes me a neat worker, where everything has to be neat and tidy, everything has to be in its place, everything has to be done and worked out methodically.

It also costs me work, for I know how things should be done, how they should be built, and it means that I do not take shortcuts even if they cost me money in the long run. It means I have a real hard time getting new customers, but when I do get a new customer they usually love my work because I am clean punctual and always do my best which despite my self confidence issues is usually a good job.

Its the same in other areas of life. You have to hide who you really are for the majority of the time, which is why, in places like this forum, it is so so very relaxing and comforting to be accepted just for who you are and have people like and accept you for being you.

One day there will be a medication that will enable me to be who I want to be without the façade, but for the moment, it does not exist.

Another chronic hider here. I seem fine most of the time. My current t can see through my mask, and it really scares me sometimes. She tried to get me hospitalized once, which no one else has ever tried to do. But the good thing about her seeing through my mask is that she figured out that I needed more zyprexa. Now I'm on a higher dose, and I don't need to hide behind a mask because I genuinely feel fine most of the time. It's to the point where I wonder if all my earlier symptoms were just my imagination, because I'm doing so well. So, I'd say it's important not to hide for too long; you might be missing out on help that could change your life.

Truth be told I have been hiding from years, and my pdoc I don't think has any idea. Its been 12 months since I have seen my therapist, which has meant I have loaded everything on my partner and family.

That has in part cost me communication with my eldest son, and has brought my wife's depression to the fore.

I always thought it was a good idea just to put on a brave face, hide and try to be optimistic when seeing your T or pdoc. However, now I think its best to be firstly honest with yourself and then with those who prescribe the meds that have the power to make your life a better place to be

I am very self conscious. Not necessarily in a bad way, just aware of how (I think) other are perceiving me. Nobody really wants to hang out or work with Eeyore, so I wear the mask of 'Fun John'. It's just second nature. Plus I still have a hangover from my time in the Marine Corps where I learned how to never show any weakness or emotions at all. My folks and close friends may be able to tell when I'm 'up', but no one but my therapist and pdoc would ever know if I'm feeling 'down'.

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I don't hide anything. I am just a weird person. Some people even call me, "crazy" and I don't care. I like being weird.

I admire your self confidence.

I find people run when they see ghe normal me without knowing any background. That means explaining. ...its easier to just hide....

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I tend to stay a little hypomanic most of the time, so if anything, my self-confidence can sometimes tend to be problematic!