Quote From: adoanneMy sister was diagnosed as Manic-Depressed after 20 years of a roller-coaster lifestyle that took her family and friends with her. Truth be told.....it was harder on her family than it was on her. When she was on the straight and narrow, she held a job, lived on her own, and then decided that she was cured and stopped taking her medicine. Then the high..........debts, job loss, weight gain. Then soon after, the inevitable "crash". Regrets, tears, pit of despair. My parents would rush in, clean up her mess and ready the world for her next appearance. She would emerge from the hospital....hopeful, confident and ready to start all over. They would be worn down with worry and financial woes. Then it would start all over!
The major reason for all all this? She would self diagnose and decide on her own that she didn't need the medications. You could ask her if she was taking her medicine and she would look you in the eye and lie every time. As soon as she started laughing too loud, everyone would brace themselves.
From my experience, the family and friends of the "bi-polar" person suffers much more than they ever do.
You have got to be kidding me! It is VERY clear that you are one of those people who don't really understand bipolar disorder and its manifestations and consequences. Imagine not being able to trust your own thoughts because you're not sure if you really feel that way or if its the bipolar disorder talking...imagine having so many amazing ideas and goals and not being able to put them into motion because you can't maintain focus on that one thought long enough to make it happen...then imagine feeling so helpless and hopeles that you don't even want to wake up anymore...it's too hard to face another day feeling like this...you don't want to feel this way anymore...
Trust me sweetheart, family and friends do not suffer more than the person with bipolar disorder...and if people like you could understand it, we wouldn't suffer as much.
