[Refuse2Sink]

I've been dealing with a lot of flack from my family members because they don't want to be supportive of my bipolar disorder. It's really hard sometimes. Between my addiction recovery and my bipolar, I am the black sheep. Anyone else have these issues and how do you deal with them?

[usehername]

YES! Half of my family doesn't believe in MI at all, and the other half believes in "natural only" treatment. For most of them, that's weed. For others, it's alcohol. The rest have died. I gave up on educating or persuading them, especially since their insistence that my mom go off her meds unknowingly started her on a major drinking binge that eventually killed her. I don't really talk to any of them. So I'm basically alone. I work as a peer counselor, though, and have found my support there.

[zijax]

My family doesn't get MI but they accept it on some level. I don't talk about it and they don't ask. They are much more interested in my alcohol recovery. They ALL drink heavily. I can't be around them due to their drinking. It triggers me to want to drink. I don't see them much. Usehername, that is so awful about your Mom, I'm sorry that that happened to her and to you. Refuse, hang in there with your family and see if there is a NAMI support group in Atl for family and friends of MI that they could go to to educate themselves.

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by Refuse2Sink

I've been dealing with a lot of flack from my family members because they don't want to be supportive of my bipolar disorder. It's really hard sometimes. Between my addiction recovery and my bipolar, I am the black sheep. Anyone else have these issues and how do you deal with them?

I just stand my ground and sigh a lot. My own family is supportive, but my inlaws, not so much - they believe in hiding mental illness and I won't do that so there's friction there. I will NOT be ashamed of a brain disease!

[mossanimal]

Myself personally.. I don't get the stigma. Maybe it's because, being an artist, I've romanticized the immortal, bipolar artists. My wife is changing on this.. but she was of the camp that thinks you should just tough it out and use strength of will. I think a lot of people have this attitude right? But my wife is in the medical field (physical therapist) and it hit her hard when she saw the biochemical connection.. as well as the genetic/hereditary aspect. She has seen my dad's bipolar traits first hand. Anyway... I've isolated my life within an artist/craftsman culture.. so now that my wife is onboard... I'm not all that affected by the stigma.

However.... there does need to be more education out there on the underlying cause of the behavior of people like us. That is one reason I always think of 'coming out' more often. My work speaks for itself... (unfortunately so does the business aspect ) so I don't mind so much that my 'disorder' is revealed. Having said THAT.. I do worry that potential customers would be turned off due to potential inconsistency. Sometimes I'm too risky and things fail utterly... or when I'm depressed I don't care and just drop out. Anyway.. carry on.

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[pirilin]

When crazy is your last name, there is very to hide. I don't mention it though.
Funny how according to the amount of money I have at the time, I'm great or eccentric. In low tide, I plain crazy.

[mossanimal]

Originally Posted by pirilin

When crazy is your last name, there is very to hide. I don't mention it though.
Funny how according to the amount of money I have at the time, I'm great or eccentric. In low tide, I plain crazy.

oh.. I relate to this sooooo much.

[WhiskeyGirl]

Originally Posted by BastetsMuse

I just stand my ground and sigh a lot. My own family is supportive, but my inlaws, not so much - they believe in hiding mental illness and I won't do that so there's friction there. I will NOT be ashamed of a brain disease!

same here exactly!

[LifeInProgress]

Since becoming an artist full time I have embraced my bipolar and general mental health issues. I am now very out and outspoken about it. People seem to be more accepting and maybe expecting of MI in artists and creative types.

[usehername]

Originally Posted by LifeInProgress

Since becoming an artist full time I have embraced my bipolar and general mental health issues. I am now very out and outspoken about it. People seem to be more accepting and maybe expecting of MI in artists and creative types.

Same goes for me as a peer counselor. Yeah, I've been through the system. Now I help others navigate it.

[bioChE]

That would be a nice assumption to operate under. I'm an engineer and we're not supposed to have emotions or anything. Kind of like my mental picture of accountants. On the whole, engineers are very flat - I feel like the odd man out.