[Victoria'smom]

My parents know. They use to hide my medication. They've even offered to pay to see pdoc 1x. They don't know about the psychosis, hospitalizations, 99% of the mood swings. I'm always "good" when my family asks. I feel like a liar. The only time they know is when they see me on FB without sleeping. My mom will ask when the last time I slept was but other then that I'm the daughter they don't have to worry about. I'm debating telling the truth (or at least partly) but I'm unsure.

So who REALLY knows in your life?

[Blue_Bird]

My family and my best friend. That's it and that's how it will stay most likely

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Practically everyone. Not everyone gets it but they do know. I am pretty open about it, always was, but once I went on disability it was obvious something was wrong and when I moved into this little house on my mom's property is was obvious things were bad enough I couldn't live alone so again, obvious.

I just don't care. If they have an issue with me or my illness then that's really their problem. Sometimes they are coming from a position of love, like a close family friend who thinks if I just had a schedule and took a computer job working from home I'd be fine. But the reality is that I can't have a schedule because my meds control my sleep and I need a ton of that and I'm not coming off the only med that ever really helped me. I don't want some computer job that made me lose my SSDI and I know I couldn't be a consistent employee anyway. I don't even volunteer because I wouldn't be consistent and I wouldn't want anyone to count on me. But that's hard for some people to understand and as I have been better on clozapine I think it's harder because aside from sleeping so much I do seem better and this med does help greatly. So I look better and "should be able" to do more. I do the most i can though.

When it isn't from a position of love I break things off (or ghost the person. Not proud of that but I've done it).

[wiretwister]

only my wife and work manager have been told directly . . . but many know I see a pdoc . . . the story is being treated for stress and depression . . . those are socially acceptible . .

[yellow_fleurs]

My closest friends, boyfriend and siblings. My parents too, but not all the details. My mom has enough anxiety and I know she'd just worry in ways that aren't that helpful for either of us. I am lucky that everyone is pretty open minded and no one has made me feel weird about my mental health issues. I used to cover it up more. People knew I had some depression and anxiety, but I kind of pushed down the worst of it, like the OCD stuff and tried to carry on.

[fern46]

My family and a lot of my extended family knows. All of my good friends know. I need their support and they all love me even if they don't understamd completely. My husband and children also need their support. I couldn't ask them to keep this secret for me.

[Moose72]

Friends and family know but I got bad vibes when I told people at church. My choir director always gives me this fake "awww! Im so sorry..." face. Really makes me feel like cr*p. I assume my mom has told other family members but im not sure. I'm not happy about that, either.

[Nammu]

Family and extended family.

[Pookyl]

Originally Posted by fern46

My family and a lot of my extended family knows. All of my good friends know. I need their support and they all love me even if they don't understamd completely. My husband and children also need their support. I couldn't ask them to keep this secret for me.

I’m the same. I also have acquaintances in my life that know. My hairdresser knows because I only want bright blue hair when I’m manic. The local barista knows. He has bipolar as well, although BPII. He’s had the same job now for 7 yrs and I admit I’m a little envious.

[Under*Over]

My family selectively knows. Meaning, Ive told them but they would prefer for me not to be sick so they pretend Im not and just ignore any symptoms that I have. Im not trying to bash them, thats just the way things are. I am on their insurance and they pay for my treatment though so they do know and they do care.

No one else knows except people online and therapists and stuff.

[~Christina]

Husband, the kids and my brother were it for a long time... one day I found the perfect picture to describe Bipolar and I posted it on Favebook and captioned” this is me and my Bipolar” about 2 or maybe 3 years ago.

I was surprised 3-4 people messaged me that they also have Bipolar. I got tons of positive feedback. If anyone was bothered they didn’t show it and there was never a change in our interactions.

Now that said , I don’t post about my Bipolar, but maybe a meme 3-4 times since then.

I also don’t overshare on Facebook regardless of my Bipolar or in general. So I never am concerned about that.

[Isolda van der Meer]

My parents and my sister. I feel like it was a mistake to talk to my sister about it, because she didn't accept it very well. I have also a brother, but he doesn't know yet. And my close friends know.

Everyone in my immediate family, most in my extended family, closest friends, anyone any of them gossiped about it to, many in my childhood home town (because my dad shared my blog with many townie friends), my former neighbor, my past employer and many people I used to work with (long story), various doctors that my father has seen in the recent year, anyone that has stumbled upon my blog, and anyone I've come in contact with through forums like this one.

I, personally, told very few people. Most learned through word of mouth/gossip, my blog, or simply witnessing. Also, six area cops (long story) and my pharmacists and doctors and therapists. My husband told his family in Czech Republic. Surely more there and his half siblings in Germany know, too. His two siblings in Germany also have bipolar disorder, but his sister there is in denial. Their mother (different than hubby's) died as a result of bipolar disorder, suicide.

Even if some of the above don't know exactly what mental illness I have, they know I have one.

It really doesn't matter to me at this point. I am not one to fret about things that are done that can't be undone.

[yellow_fleurs]

Originally Posted by Isolda van der Meer

My parents and my sister. I feel like it was a mistake to talk to my sister about it, because she didn't accept it very well. I have also a brother, but he doesn't know yet. And my close friends know.

Sorry the didn't accept it well. Did they not believe you? Although my friends have been very supportive of my mental health issues overall, most (all?) said they don't think I have bipolar disorder including my friend who has bipolar disorder himself. I personally am not sure I think I completely meet the criteria for bipolar disorder.

[fern46]

Originally Posted by yellow_fleurs

Sorry the didn't accept it well. Did they not believe you? Although my friends have been very supportive of my mental health issues overall, most (all?) said they don't think I have bipolar disorder including my friend who has bipolar disorder himself. I personally am not sure I think I completely meet the criteria for bipolar disorder.

My friends don't believe it either. It usually goes like this when I tell them.

Me: 'Something happened to me and I had a psychotic break. The doctors think maybe I'm bipolar'
Friend: 'You? No way. You're so put together'
Me: ' I hallucinated and my children were disappearing before my eyes. I thought my husband was doing it and he was evil'
Friend: 'I still cannot believe that. You love him'
Me: 'Let me show you the pictures of what my hallway looked like after I kicked the walls in trying to find my disappearing children'
Friend: 'Woah. You went nuts'
Me: ' And that's why I was in the hospital for 10 days after my brain snapped.'

[xRavenx]

My mother knows. She doesn't fully understand, but she is coming around. My brother has MH issues also, so I shared my diagnosis with my brother (plus he was well aware that I was having a lot of problems growing up, but now he knows specifically).

I mentioned my diagnosis to my cousin, who probably doesn't even remember me bringing it up, because I don't talk about it much. Plus, she has her own issues with addictions and was even diagnosed as Bipolar. I only talk vaguely about my mental health issues with very few friends and not all of them know my diagnosis.

My one friend knows my diagnosis, and I mentioned it at one point to another friend. But I could probably count on less than one hand the people outside of family and medical professionals that know.

I have mentioned it to past partners, and most were supportive. However, the last guy that I dated for only a very brief period of time was pushy about getting off medication. He seems to think cannabis is the answer to everything, which is why he is anti-medication. Needless to say, it rubbed me the wrong way, and that was one of the many reasons why I ended it. Now, I decided I won't open up about it once I've been in a relationship as soon as I did before.

[Isolda van der Meer]

Originally Posted by yellow_fleurs

Sorry the didn't accept it well. Did they not believe you? Although my friends have been very supportive of my mental health issues overall, most (all?) said they don't think I have bipolar disorder including my friend who has bipolar disorder himself. I personally am not sure I think I completely meet the criteria for bipolar disorder.

My sister thinks I'm faking it in order to make my boring life seem less boring. I have no idea why I would do this but nevermind.

My friends weren't surprised when I told them that I have bipolar disorder. One of them (a psychologist-amateur) told me that she had thought so for quite a long time. I'm glad that my friends are so supportive.

[Isolda van der Meer]

@BirdDancer This is totally off topic, but... your husband is from the Czech Republic? It's always surprising for me when somebody knows about the existence of my little and unimportant country...

Originally Posted by Isolda van der Meer

@BirdDancer This is totally off topic, but... your husband is from the Czech Republic? It's always surprising for me when somebody knows about the existence of my little and unimportant country...

Ano, on je z Cech. It's not unimportant, and it's mighty big in our hearts


Dobro noc!

[Aviza]

My family, friends, boss, everyone really. Maybe not specific diagnosis but most have experienced an episode.

[yellow_fleurs]

Isolda van der Meer wow that must be pretty invalidating to have your sister say that. I am glad at least your friends are supportive.

Fern, I also sometimes get the impression people think I am too "put together" to have mental health issues and that that's part of it. When dealing with a mixed episode people mostly thought I was fine or just a bit stressed or depressed, but I felt very unstable and almost took myself to the hospital.

my parents (who disowned me for it), my teachers knew, my friend laura (or I should say my X friend laura), obviously doctgors/ therapists, and beth when she was alive.

[saucygirl31]

my parents, a couple friends, and everyone practically in the group home i live in.

[TheSadGirl]

Everyone. It became too much of a burden trying to hide it all the time. Now people either accept me as is or they don't.