[cool09]

I have friends from decades ago and I wish I could tell them how I'm doing with my mental illness but I just can't get myself to do it. Afraid I'll be rejected.

[Anonymous37919]

I can see your point. People are so judgemental over unnecessary things that are just part of your persona. I'd be worried about being left out of group activities, because people don't always feel safe around people with mental health problems. They may think you're a burden on them, which is probably untrue, but that's due to picky people that are unwilling to understand that we sometimes just aren't able to cope as well as others do. It's like people these days only recognize the categories of normal and abnormal, so if you are classed as the latter to them, it impacts how others perceive you. I've been in this boat myself many a time and still can't grasp why I'm seen that way.

No. People don’t understand what bipolar means. They think of what they hear on the news.

Yep I do. I've blasted it all over my Facebook page. I truly don't give a crap what people think of me. If you want to judge me based on my health status, I don't want to be your friend anyways.

[Under*Over]

No, people think Im crazy when I tell them things- and they look at you differently afterwards. So I dont usually tell

[Taylor27]

Only to my close friends that seem to understand. I used to be very open about my mental illness and people took advantage of me and made me feel like they where better then me. My friends who i trust know i struggle and most of them do too. Most of my friends i have met in groups, day program so they understand and im treated like any body else.

[*Laurie*]

TheSadGirl, I admire your courage. I wish I had it. I'm afraid to tell friends because I worry that they'll attribute every little thing to my mental illness.

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

TheSadGirl, I admire your courage. I wish I had it. I'm afraid to tell friends because I worry that they'll attribute every little thing to my mental illness.

The key here is that I don't care. I need to be me and this is the type of person that I am. I tried for so long to be someone else and it's exhausting. I was committed to hospital in September. My husband posted on my Facebook and a bunch of people came to see me. They accepted me as is and those are the only friends I want.

[TRNRMOM]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

The key here is that I don't care. I need to be me and this is the type of person that I am. I tried for so long to be someone else and it's exhausting. I was committed to hospital in September. My husband posted on my Facebook and a bunch of people came to see me. They accepted me as is and those are the only friends I want.

i keep no secrets about my mental illness; i'm retired, 71 yrs. of age so i don't have fear of losing a job or losing my hubby of 32 years; i'm a regular at our health club across the street from where we live and i sign up for particular classes in the morning; most know if i've had a bad nite and didn't sleep, i'm not at the club at the usual time and the more open i am about my mental illness, the more open (from my personal experience) several people have been about having a bipolar parent, sibling, or child. i'm a terrific empathic friend and i've eliminated more people because of their toxicity than i've been eliminated because of my mental illness...but everyone has to choose his own path as far as deciding who to tell....but at my age, i care little about what those insignificant people think because i'm honest and authentic.

[cool09]

because i'm honest and authentic.

It's good that you are confident and still have your personality. I lost my personality years ago.

[Anonymous37919]

Facebook is narcissistic. It amazes me how saints become sinners on there. It's fake, too...

Originally Posted by Peter A

Facebook is narcissistic. It amazes me how saints become sinners on there. It's fake, too...

Depends on what type of company you keep I suppose. For me I am exactly on Facebook as I am in real life. I don't pretend to be better or worse. Most of my friends don't post as much as I Do, but they are authentic in what they share.

[Beatnik62]

My childhood friends know all about my mental health problems. They observed a lot of it firsthand long before I start receiving treatment. I used to be a lot more open about it with people. I'm very picky now about whom I tell. I would tell old friends if we were close enough to have mutual trust. If I don't have that with someone, then I wouldn't consider them much of a friend anyway. It's not the first thing I would talk about at a high school reunion. It's pretty much on a need to know basis. I decide who needs to know.

Originally Posted by cool09

I have friends from decades ago and I wish I could tell them how I'm doing with my mental illness but I just can't get myself to do it. Afraid I'll be rejected.

Do they know about it?
If not then you have no obligation to tell them. After all, a mental illness is a personal medical diagnosis