[ducky2030]

Ive heard a few times that Im "off" (mentally or personality) and would like to know if others with Bipolar 1 or2 have had this experience as well. Can people tell that your not "normal"? such as coworkers or friends. I'll also admit that I appear "strange" to some people and can come off as rude. This does bother me somewhat because even though Im not a social person I don't necessarily want to be deemed as that "off" ,weird, outcast, type person. Just some random thoughts of mine. Has anyone told you this and how does it make you feel?

[HALLIEBETH87]

I've read on that topix gossip website that in creepy and scary so I guess so

I get told I'm crazy and not in the fun sense, in the you're really messed up sense. My friends call me eccentric because they know that I'm off and love me anyways. I am different and I'm proud of that.

[99fairies]

I can feel totally normal and my husband will tell me I seem off that day. No idea what he's talking about. I usually feel fine when he asks me that.

[Aliceiw]

Yes, even when I'm well I can tell that other's think I'm strange... even stranger when I'm not well. Like I've had sit downs with a boss before because she was like, what's going on. That was when I was having hallucinations... I totally thought I was getting it past them but apparently it was very noticeable. I'm usually pretty quiet and I keep to myself, when I'm up the energy freaks people out and when I'm depressed my negativity and irritability shine through very easily. People know I'm odd they just think its a personality quirk I think. Like when my boss sat me down she thought I was being totally disrespectful to her because she'd tell me to do something and I honestly only heard parts of what she'd say so I'd do something completely different than she told me. Little did she know I was distracted by noises, flashing lights, changing colors, seeing dead people, and going on very little sleep. I told her it was a medical condition and I was working on it with my doctor. She felt bad and I teared up. I hadn't realized how much it was evident that something was wrong. I also know that people think I'm off because many avoid me. I know I do it to myself by the fact that I am too distracted with avoiding chaos than their feelings or what they did last weekend. I usually try to limit conversations with people so that they have little evidence of my weirdness and then I talk to them when I'm well and things go smoother that way.

[BipolaRNurse]

I have often been told that I'm an odd little duck, and it's OK. It's just me, and "me" is fine the way I am. I own it, and I don't apologize for it.

[Row Jimmy]

Oh absolutely. I act like I don't care what people think of me. Today in class, I fixed someone's book bag so he could get at his notebook and just after I finished, I went into a Tarzan yell just like Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. The pitch was absolutely perfect. My students had no idea what I was doing but it was fun anyway.

[Gray Rider]

Lol yes, **** em

[taybaby]

Being around people wears me out because I feel like I am using a lot of effort to appear normal. Sometimes when I have panic attacks I just have to spontaneously leave without saying a word, which I'm sure people think is "off".

Lately I've begun to just try to accept that this is the way I am, and trying to love myself for it. When I was in the hospital I met so many people who if I would have met 5 years ago I would have considered them "off", but turns out they were the nicest most empathetic people I've met in my whole life.

I think people who are different are people who have suffered, and they are special and worth getting to know and love. I would take pride in being a little bit off, because most normal people suck lol

[~Christina]

Occasionally my husband will ask me if I am Okay as he sees me all the time.. I usually respond with a " im okay" trust me you dont wanna know what swirls around my head at any given moment lol

I usually have a great sense of self awareness... " usually"

I guess it depends on one's interpretation of "off", and for me sometimes I know people recognize my illness symptoms, and sometimes I suspect it, when in fact they really don't. I know that my husband on many occasions has witnessed my episodes and knew that something was amiss, but he always says that I'm normal, even when I'm sick. So, to him I'm normal, but just sick.

I've been on disability for years now. When I was working, there were the people that really liked me and those that really didn't. Not everyone at work witnessed the negative symptoms of my disorder, but some did to the point of complaining about me to my bosses and even going to Human Resources and almost getting me fired. I think at first they just thought I was HORRIBLE! Hypomanic, manic, and mixed manic irritability can can do that. Later when I was hospitalized again and again people seemed to figure out that there was sickness behind my behavior. Their hatred seemed to ease, but they never fully felt comfortable around me. Plus, after the fact anxiety accompanied my mania more often than irritability. I certainly felt people saw me as "off", meaning not normal or exhibiting strange behavior.

I know there are many people I see regularly around town that just consider me to be a very friendly woman. I feel confident that they see me as normal. But there are some people (like neighbors) that have seen cops at my house, heard screams and bangs, seen the ambulance, and maybe even observed strange behavior to a degree. I often wonder if they consider me "off" even when I'm likely perfectly fine.

There is no doubt about it that my illness has caused me to be paranoid of my own behavior. Made me question myself. I've even gone so far as to apologize to people for things I've said or done only for them to say they had no idea what I was talking about. Were they lying? Or were they completely serious? At some point I just have to believe what they say. I also need to improve my self-confidence.

[tecomsin]

I think that mania is pretty obvious to most people as being 'off'. Unfortunately some people who have seen me manic will assume i am manic if I am not acting depressed.

[ducky2030]

Originally Posted by Gray Rider

Lol yes, **** em

Yes

[UpDownAround]

Yes - "quirky" gets thrown around a lot. I don't disagree with that. I have been pulled aside before meetings and given instructions that about keeping my yap shut, trying not to be rude and to think through what I say so I don't confuse people. One person in particular who did this a few times over the years seemed compassionate about how he said it, so I think he knew or at least suspected more than we ever discussed.

[251turnaround]

I'm aware that I'm 'different', and I really don't care. I've been called crazy by my friends sometimes but I take it as a term of endearment rather than an insult. There's nothing wrong with being eccentric.