In general, is your family accepting of MI? What about your BP? Would you say they're supportive?

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My family does not accept MI very well. They think that "people are either sane or insane", and that those with MI "suffer from insanity" (and that includes people who only suffer from anxiety or people who only suffer from ADHD).

They also think that people who have BP are "psychotic, homicidal, suicidal people who are a danger to everyone around them". Therefore, "they need to be locked up for their own good".

So you can imagine that I haven't told my parents anything about my Dx's. You can also imagine they're not supportive. Oh well. I have you guys anyways

Now it's your turn! What about you?

[boogiesmash]

I wouldn't dare tell my mom that I'm bipolar. Although I do see her with a lot of anxiety issues.

[Wild Coyote]

My family is not supportive around anything. My siblings are very self-involved, unkind, and intolerant active alcoholics with severe undiagnosed psych conditions.

My husband, my mother, my husband's family and my friends are supportive.

Only my husband and I are aware of the newer BP-2 dx.
There's too much misinformation out there about BP in general.


WC

My brother, the only surviving member of my nuclear family, is in denial that I am sick, not in the Kubler-Ross sense of denial as part of a process of grief that ends in acceptance, just flat-out denial. We haven't really talked in three years. I bear grudges.

[Unrigged64072835]

My husband and a couple of friends know that I have BP. My brother could care less. He only talks to me when there's something going on with my parents estate. I don't dare tell my aunt or grandmothers. That's about all the family I have left.

[hopeless2015]

My family knows but they expect me to just turn this off and be ok....like I wouldn't do that if I could

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[jpb4815]

My mom and my wife know, My kids done know(they should not have to). My mom is very supportive, it is allover the place in her side of my family. My wife on the other hand just left with one of the reasons being she could not deal with me and my MI

[fishin fool]

I told my brother and my sister a few years back but that was the last time we spoke.
The three of us would not have spoken anyway and it has nothing to do with my bipolar.
My siblings are to selfish and self absorbed to care what I have.
My mom has alzhiemers so she has no clue whats going on anymore and definitely
struggled all her life with undiagnosed MI.
I have told my children but I was always their rock so I don't think they really get it.
My oldest son is a Psychologist and I am not sure he can even except that his dad
has bipolar 2.
My GF knows everything and totally gets it and understands MI very well.
I believe she may have saved my life when I was at my lowest.
She is my only real support that I have and I thank her almost every day.

[Victoria'smom]

My parents and siblings know that I take meds for BP but that's about it. My H also has BP so he understands. My son knows but isn't/ shouldn't be a support.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

My dad laughs and says its just a excuse not to work. Even though when I was 16, the pdoc told him to his face I was sick. As far as family goes, my bro is the only one that gets it. His ex wife was BP. A very hellish case she was. So he's experienced it first hand. When I go off on him he says "stfu and take your crazy pills" lol.

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[Daonnachd]

I guess family acceptance doesn't matter to me, as nice as the support would be. While I may not like it, BP is a part of me. Consequently, denial and rejection by family members when told of the dx felt like rejection of me, the person. After that, I basically ended any familial relationship with those individuals, so for me I feel all my family is supportive. If they're not, they're not family. Fortunately, all my immediate family are with me.

[p00dlez]

My dads dead. My mom was murdered when I was 10 but she would have understood. She had a serious MI that I have guessed to be either rapid cycling BP 1 or Schizophrenia. I was too young when she was murdered to know what she had.

Told my aunt and sister. Think my aunt understood because she was around to see my mom. My sister just basically blew it off, I don't think she really understood how serious it is. She said stuff like everybody has depression, stuff like that. I haven't told anyone else yet.

My husband and grown kids understand because they have seen me manic before.

[JustJace2u]

In general my parents accept MI as a part of the lives of some people. That being said, I think they don't fully grasp that I, their daughter, have been dealing with these issues and have just recently had them re-surface full force with a real diagnosis. I keep thinking about a conversation my mother and I had a few months ago when I first decided to seek help. She said that she would feel guilty and/or responsible if my brother or I was ever diagnosed with an MI such as BP because it runs in her family. I've tried telling her that this has nothing to do with her, that it is just something that I happen to be dealing with and she can't keep blaming herself for my illness.

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

Hmm. My husband knows and is very supportive, including actively working to identify additional ways to assist and care for me when I need support. My kids know I have ups and downs and I'm honest with them when I feel like my behaviors or reactions around them stem my my BP, even though I haven't named it. I've talked about it much more in depth with my daughter because she's a bit older than my son. When she sees me getting stressed out, she finds ways to do something really caring for me or suggests I go lie down for 20-30 minutes while she makes a snack or something. It fills me with such gratitude for her, while also making me a bit nervous that she feels like she's needing to take care of me. But then, I think in general being able to recognize when others are overwhelmed (regardless of why) and offering to provide them a little love or peace to help is a pretty neat skill to develop - in general, I think she's a pretty empathetic kid. I hope I'm not screwing her up with this.

My mother knows and is supportive. I've told one brother, who felt bad that he hadn't 'been there' for me for a lot of our years. I haven't told my other brother. I think if it came up I might, but he has a pretty fixed idea that our brains are capable of incredible things if we just use them to the right ends. MI can be 'healed' by our brains alone if we just believe it and work towards it that way. He got injured/sick a couple of years ago and had his first experience with situational depression - I think after that he might be more open to the idea that MI isn't a 'choice'. But I'm not actively trying to test that theory.

I'm pretty sure my mother-in-law knows I've suffered from depression, but we've never really talked about it. She's supportive in theory, but it's often more harmful than not to discuss it with her because she doesn't have any personal experience with it and can say something that's triggering or dismissive without meaning to (i.e., with great intentions, but a little ignorant of the 'right' thing to say/do). I had a very open discussion this month with one of my sisters-in-law about having BP, and she was both incredibly supportive and very curious about my experiences, things that are helpful, etc. I spoke about my struggles in generalities with another sister-in-law while discussing her young daughter who is exhibiting some troubling behaviors. She was supportive, but mostly focused on her daughter and ways to help her.

So, in general, I would say that my family is supportive, or tries to be at least.

[scatterbrained04]

Well...they're not UNSUPPORTIVE. We just don't talk about my bipolar. Whenever I've brought it up, their body language has told me it is making them uncomfortable, so I just shut up about it. I know they'd be there if I really needed them though.

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Originally Posted by bluebicycle

In general, is your family accepting of MI? What about your BP? Would you say they're supportive?

My sister knows, and is fine with it, though living on opposite end of the country, "support" would probably be a stretch. It's a moot point anyway, as I do not expect it, let alone ask for any. We communicate somewhat regularly. She the only person who does, so that is enough for me.

I told my dad a number of years ago on the phone. He was fine with it. I *think* we may have spoken once after that, but I really don't have much reason to think that has anything to do with the BP. I didn't grow up with him and didn't even contact him till I was 40. Aside from a big trip and 2 visits a decade ago, our contact was sporadic anyway.

And then there's my mother. Never dx'd, though clearly a variety of MIs. BP is as certain as any could be without formal dx (she would never in a million years seek help, so that's the highest degree of certainty possible). Other mental issues and also a hoarder. Aside from a brief call to say I'd divorced and moved states, we've had no contact for well over a decade. I started it as she was nothing but triggering and toxic and I was sick of it. No point in telling her, to say the least(!)

Aside from my mother and sister, I grew up with my grandparents. Such things were NOT discussed (if you think it's hidden now, it's nothing compared to then, especially in a household with a generation previous to that! As in born 1905 and 1911, so you can imagine.) The level of shame was such that it remained a forbidden topic even as adults. They've been dead for 20 years, so they literally took the secrecy to their graves.

I don't have contact with any other family of origin relatives. My ex and my son know. Neither was the least bit surprised with the dx. I do not seek support from either. (They also live a significant distance away.)

Regarding general attitude towards MI, it probably falls along the same lines.

Sorry so long. Though it does also provide a glimpse into why my dx was so long overdue, lol! (Like...25 years! )

BF understands. He's got mental problems too.

[VerMOZZica]

My family knows.In fact my Mother was the one who made me get help.I think most of them are supportive.Maybe some of them don`t understand too well.I don`t talk about it much myself because I`m not much of a talker anyway.I`m a pretty quiet person.

[Row Jimmy]

I'm lucky. My parents are supportive - my dad is always worried about me. He was close to his cousin who was in Vietnam and his cousin never really recovered from it, taking his life a few years ago. So that's fresh in his mind.

My mom is slowly coming around. She has an undiagnosed mental illness and struggles with her own demons. But she's not unsupportive, more neutral right now. She doesn't engage me in much BP conversation and simply ignores most of what I say if it remotely pertains to BP. She'd rather me be "normal" because all of her friends children are normal (according to all the glorious stories she tells me about them). Sunshine, lollipops.........

My sisters are also very supportive and always ask me what I'm doing with my mountain climbing (my new thing). My brothers in law are more on the "man up" side but they generally seem indifferent to it all. I have one friend who is very supportive but he's BPD so that always "helps" the understanding.

[Incubus]

My family doesnt seem to support my MI but I rarely see them due to leaving in anoter state. My wife doesnt support me at all. She just gets mad and stuff. Blames my panic attacks on other things other than MI.

[Gs550]

My sisters are definitely understanding and supportive (I should hope so - one is a psych nurse!) My parents, not so much. My mom seemed surprised that I had to go back on meds, like I should have gotten over things by now. Pretty sure my dad is undiagnosed BP II but he's from the generation where you stuff your feelings.

I have a couple of friends who are supportive, even if I drive them nuts. That helps a lot.

My mother has never been supportive of BP, even though mental illness runs in her family. She just ran around throwing holy water on me. My ex-wife wasn't either.

[raspberrytorte]

My parents don't understand me at all. Today I got the whole "everyone is depressed sometimes" thing. And my mom doesn't believe in anxiety disorders at all because "everyone experiences anxiety". Sigh. And this was all after I printed out some sheets from online about bipolar and anxiety disorders.

They're supportive though, as much as they can be. They just don't understand me at all.

My husband is very supportive. Always has been. Man is a saint.

[OctobersBlackRose]

My family knows, they're supportive of me, my Grandma really doesn't believe in certain mental illnesses (like depression and anxiety) but I live with her and she knows I'm Bipolar, the poor woman has seen me in episodes as did my Grandpa when he was still alive. They all just don't know a lot about the illnesses themselves, and that can be hard when. I talk about it and they don't know what to say...

[Miss Laura]

To begin with they didn't understand what I had to be depressed about.... my life was good I was young and I had a job and money and a roof over my head. Then I was diagnosed with Bipolar and they were like this is so you look at the symptoms. I wanted my parents to take charge of me if I became too ill to look after myself and my Mum said she didn't want to take that charge as she would need to know everything about my illness. She/they do not want to hear about the "bad" stuff (suicidal thinking/self harming etc)....... I felt rejected like massively rejected. Needless to say we had a huge fight and ever since then I do not talk about my MH with any of my family including my Twin Sister. It's hard when they don't want to know. But then now a days my Mum acts like she wants to know but I know deep down she would rather I didn't share things with her. I keep them all at a distance in regards to my MH