When your family doesn't accept you..

.. You try your best to disregard and find support elsewhere.

Last night my dad confessed to me that he does not believe my diagnosis. That the symptoms that are supposed to indicate bipolar disorder, were just a part of my nature, and that it was just a phase which I will eventually grow out of. And that taking meds all my life is definitely out of question.

I'm seriously thinking of hiding my medication, every single evidence of me being bipolar and take care of myself on my own. Of course my mother's been very supportive of me, and accepted the diagnosis and was right away willing to help me. I bet that the diagnosis was a relief for her. In my teenage years she often wondered why I cut myself, and what she had done to make her child like that.

Now there's a name for it, and there's treatment for it.

My dad will never accept me this way. He will never accept that I've seen things that aren't there, and talked to entities that never existed. Thank god my nurse was so understanding of this. After all, it is my business.

The only ones who have helped me along this rocky way have actually been my mom, and my boyfriend. That is all I need, but.. It's such a shame that my childhood hero cannot accept his daughter. It's hard not to think that he doesn't care if he doesn't want to believe my diagnosis.

Eventually, or never. I'll still have the people whose concern I'm aware of.

Just posting this to see if anyone knows someone who has overcome this particular problem. I thought that a family meeting would fix it, but he's so stubborn that he thinks they're just saying things to keep me buying meds.

Seriously, I don't pay them anything, and if I buy meds, it's the pharmacist who gets the money, or the manufacturer, or whoever. They should be bombarding me with advertisements for bipolar disorder, not the mental health folks.

I have had this same issue with my mother. i think your dad just doesn't understand this illness and feels helpless. he can't fix this thing and he might even wonder what he as a parent could have done wrong. I know that it where my mom's denial sprung from. there is no quick fix for this but as long as you have your mom and boyfriends support i guess that is all that matters. your dad not accepting your bipolar doesn't mean he doesn't accept you and his denial is his problem. just don't let it get you down, i'm sure he will come around one day.

Sometimes parents or loved ones are in denial. It's hard to accept the fact that someone you love so much will have such a long hard battle.

Dont sweat it, my mother is an eastern european woman who thinks all i need is a night out drinking and a good night's rest.... =]

Thanks for all the replies

Yeah, I suppose the best thing to do is just to let it all sink in. I don't mind just as long as he doesn't make rude remarks like he does when he's under the influence.

My parents didn't accept the bipolar diagnosis either. They thought I was schizophrenic because of the delusions and halucinations I was experiencing during a manic episode. After I was medicated and brought under "control" They went into a denial attitude too. After 18 years of watching me cycle they accept the facts. Don't worry it's not your job to convice people you're bipolar it's just important that you manage the systems.

My dad doesn't really, either, which is sad. If I'm in the wrong frame of mind, he could at one time change my mind about needing meds, and that was never pretty. Now, I try to take what he says with a grain of salt... his birth mother in all liklihood was bipolar, and as my mom says, she thinks he blames himself for my having it.

Thanks for all the replies. It's at the same time so sad to know that bipolar disorder, though now getting more "fame", still carries the stigma of lunacy, but still, good to know that this problem isn't uncommon, that my parents aren't "mean" on purpose.

I think, that at least in my case, one of the problems causing this is ignorance in terms of what is going on inside my head, and how I am feeling. I spend a lot of time in my room, on the computer. That's where I get my feelings sorted out, either here or in my livejournal.

Well.. That was my conclusion. Hope everyone is managing. I know I am.. Somehow, but still managing.

my dad is the only one who understands & is supportive. my other family members want to blame the way i am on my husband but as much as an *** he can be he wasnt around when i was in early childhood & started to self medicate with food & eventually acohol sex with different guys & drugs. all of these looking back were part of manic sprees with awful depression mixed in. when i was first diagnosed a bp1 i was like dunno thought i was just depressed with periods of "craziness" but i now know its very real. my recent manic spells during past few years have involved some really off the wall behavior & also ive had someone outside of my family saying they really think i need to be on bp meds. she just confided her daughter is bp1 & takes several meds so she must have saw my moods & think im bp1. ive thought alot about this also & i think its so hard for family members cuz they might feel guilt about not getting their kids help early on or feeling like they failed their kids. my brother is also exactly like me except he gets violent with his mania. i feel sorry for my mom & grandma cuz theyve been thru so much with us & deep down they probably look back & see where we needed help. i feel guilt also for things ive put them thru cuz they tried everything they could to make sure we had a good childhood & i feel like weve just crapped on them in later life. i now know i have an illness, need meds to stabililze it, & have to do things on my part like stay away from alcohol drugs try to make healthy choices like exercise & go to church & steer very clear of certain toxic people. i just hope & pray my brother would see this and get the drugs law prison out of his life & get help he needs.