Replies to 'Bipolar Disorder'

hello there, 

i caught dr phil' s show today, try to watch it everyday after work, today's topic hit very close to home.  i am 35 yr old, diagnosed w/bp @ 26.  my whole life i struggled with very intense mood swings and no support at home when they happened.  one thing i have learned over the last 9.5 yrs is even with meds and therapy, nothing can substitute a good support system at home.  my family was never supportive or understanding, but my husband of 6 yrs has been by far the most supportive person in my corner.  i've done research on my disorder so we can have a better understanding of what is going on.  it breaks my heart to see/speak with people who are so ignorant about this illnes. if it was cancer or diabetes would they be more inclined to look into it? is that b/c those diseases can kill a person?  people die/take their own life from depression every day..  i think that more education needs to be done surrounding mental illness, one of the biggest challenges i faced was peoples scrutiny of me.  we all know that people are accustom to not understanding what they cannot see or touch.  even though bp can manifest itself physically the disease is mental/psychological.  why do people have to be so scared.  i would have been much more receptive to people's questions than there stares and snide comments as i walked by.    this illness has been around for alot longer than we are probably aware of, but it has taken society years to become comfortable with the mere mention of mental illness, how many more years before this is openly discussed w/bias or prejudice?  something to think about.  thanks for letting me rant.