[girlN]

I was diagnosed as bipolar june of 2002 and my mother is still denying that anything is wrong. she has been with me in the hospital and she has seen me OD, she has found the cuts on my body that I made myself. she has seen me loose it and freak out. why does she deny this illness? what can i do to get her to accept me and my bipolar? If any one out there is a parent of a bipolar child or has had a similar situation I would love some insight, advice or encouragement. thanks.

[lenjan]

My mom called me the morning after I was admitted on an emergency basis to the locked ward of a psych hospital, on 24/7 suicide watch. Her exact words when I picked up the phone were, "You shouldn't have thoughts like that, dear. God doesn't like that."

I think parents tend not to want to think something is seriously wrong with their children. It's easier to live in denial than it is to accept that not everything is rosy and perfect, especially when (I guess) they feel helpless to do anything.

I don't have any great words of wisdom, but I'm willing to bet there are a lot of us here who understand. Hang in there.

BTW -- just out of curiosity, does your mom have some sort of mental illness too? My mom has raging borderline personality disorder and major depression and is a flaming narcissist, which everyone has figured out but her (even my therapists over the years have been able to dx her from a distance, based on my descriptions!), and when anyone suggests maybe a psych referral is in order, she goes off on her "psychiatrists are quacks" rant and won't hear it. So that's another possibility -- maybe she sees in you what she doesn't want to see in herself??

Again, I dunno, but I do know denial is a pretty powerful thing. Best of luck to you. Keep posting -- somebody here is bound to have some ideas.

Candy

[Fuzzybear]

I completely relate about parents and denial......
Candybear said some of the things I would have said (if the family hadn't also done a hatchet job on my trust....)
Welcome and best wishes

[Perna]

Your mother doesn't "get it". Do you have an aunt you like or sibling, how's your father? It took me a long time in other places before I found confirmation of myself.

[iamtwilight]

That's really the most annoying thing. My father denies my bipolar disorder, but was willing to help me with my panic disorder back in Sept 2006, he even printed out pages about it and breathing techniques. I think he's made some research on the subject but doesn't want to believe it since bipolar disorder is a "serious mental illness". Oh well.. At least he agreed to attend a family meeting with my psych nurse. Maybe that will help.

Do you think you could somehow convince your mom to do the same? Like.. If you say you're not really feeling well mentally, and that it would help a lot if she attended one, that she doesn't have to really believe everything the psychiatrist says since she thinks they're quacks heh, but maybe she would think about what's been talked about and eventually it would get to her.

Just a thought.

[DamianV]

oh god yes parents are so ignorant. My mother thinks i should start drinking......

[girlN]

your mom said you should start drinking? that is hilarious. what is her reasoning for this? i would love to hear her theory on how drinking is so incredibly good for ones mental and over all health.