I have the same problem with my family no undestanding, and also no funds for any kind of help. It gets frustrating after a while trying to find somewhere to go for help. A lot of places have sliding scale fees but I still can't afford that. I do have insurance but it doesn't cover mental health in any way.

As I have found on this site, we are all alot alike in many ways. I too have had many jobs and was very good at all of them, just didn't stick with them long. I have had big ideas, but didn't follow through, destroyed relationships, was in the army,, etc. I used to be ridiculed by my mother and others in my family because they said I was lazy, a procrastinator, etc. and it would make me angry and injure my self esteem. Alot of what they said was true, and they were saying it because they knew my potential because of my high intelligence. What we didn't understand was the mental illness factor in all of this. I now "like myself" for who i am and do the best that i can do for me. Thats all i can do. I am a pefectionist so I am my worst critic on anything that I do so I have to watch myself more and quit ridiculing myself. I do what i can do when I can. If I fail...I fail but at least i try.

A person with a dual disorder has two biological illnesses. They are not to blame for these illnesses. They did not cause them. They did not choose to be affected by them. And they do not deserve them. Both illnesses are diagnosable, medical conditions. With proper medical treatment and the support of self-help groups, a person with a dual diagnosis can learn to become responsible for working on both illnesses in a constructive and positive way.

Mental or psychiatric illnesses are disorders of the brain that can disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas that may require medications to stabilize blood sugar levels, psychiatric illnesses are brain disorders that may require medications to help balance certain chemicals in the brain.
Chemically dependant people dont choose to be alcoholics and addicts - they just are. Unfortunately, its almost impossible to know if someone is chemically dependant until they start drinking or taking drugs. By the time they realize there is a problem they have lost the power of choice and ability to stop on their own.

Neither illness is caused by moral weakness or personal shortcomings. Nor can they be overcome by "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps" or by an act of willpower. Both are diseases that do not see age, sex, race, IQ, religion, or economic status. Unfortunately, a great deal of social stigma and misinformation surround both diseases and this sometimes keeps people from getting the help they need. These are truly "no-fault" illnesses, and any approach to them that feeds or produces irrational guilt and shame, blocks recovery. Three simple ideas, that are suggested as a foundation for dual recovery.
Today, I will be free of alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.
Today, I will follow a healthy plan to manage my emotional or psychiatric illness.
Today, I will practice the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability.

I must recognize that psychiatric medications are used for the purpose of managing psychiatric symptoms and are not taken for the purpose of achieving a "high". Therefore, the use of psychiatric medications is not considered to be the same as relapse.

Some individuals in dual recovery must take certain medications that can have a potential for abuse or physical dependence. These medications, when properly prescribed and taken precisely as directed, can be an important tool in controlling psychiatric symptoms and may be crucial to an individual's dual recovery and well-being. I use every caution with my medications and understand that at times, there just isn't another option available to me. My doctors know best. I'm totaly honest with them in regards to my dual illness and my history of chemical dependency. When I take these medications in accordance with doctors advice and recovery plan, they do not interfere with my sobriety or "clean time."

I believe that psychiatric medications can be an integral part of a recovering persons plan to manage their emotional or psychiatric illness in a healthy and constructive way. With this in mind, those around me who didn't or still don't understand me only make it more impossible for me to recover. I can only carry myself and my problems and not thiers. Where there is a will, there is a way. There is help out there.

Is there a bipolar help group that you could attend? Sometimes hospital mental health units offer support groups. As for getting the medical help you so desparately need is there a friend or relative that can loan you some money. I know being BP we burn a lot of bridges and run low on options. Can you educate at least one family member on BP? have them visit this site. You are not going to be able to break the cycle without some sort of intervention. In the mean time keep posting here so we can all be of some support to you even though it's on line.