Hey Pal, Free here again. My family was, for the most part, pretty supportive. My sister badgered me into my most recent, and finally successful?, round of treatment.

Your DH, I don't want to say anything derogatory here, but...man it makes me so mad. Our society has been trained to ignore and mistrust facts. I don't consider it completely your husbands fault, but science and reason are being dragged through the mud right now, mostly by our leaders, most of whom wouldn't know a fact if it bit them in the tail. The Enlightenment is finally over. We're careening back into the Dark Ages.

Placebo heck, I wouldn't be alive without my drugs. I wonder what percentage of the people in DS would say the same thing?

What do you do? Laugh, address the problem with much, much more tact than I have here. Have you ever considered taking him with you to a psych appointment. A lot of people who are hostile to ideas are intimidated by authority, and doctors are nothing if not authorities.

Folks posted pics from a recent study that showed that bp brains were both physically and chemically different than "normal" brains. But again, sigh, that's just science, so what does that prove.

One of the things that is going to drive home the fact that mental illness is real is when the poor folks who had their minds scrambled in Iraq come home and start going off the deep end. We've created a lot of hurt people with that war. The numbers of people with PTSD, depression, etc are going to be huge.

Good luck and God bless!

Hey Pal, seconds after I wrote this, I switched over to a news page that led with a story titled "Army needs more pdocs to treat Iran and Afghanistan mental trauma. Sometimes being right stinks.

Hi Free!!

I am only just now able to realise that if my heart can have problems...or kidneys..etc...what makes my brain infalliable (sp?) So it only makes that much MORE sense that it Should make sense to a (hehehe) sensible human being.

Sorry, it's late and I'm excited to have access to people who understand me.

Thanks for the reply!

Pal

I was quite fortunate that my family was very supportive once I was diagnosed. My mother even used to do some of the cognitive therapy exercises with me. Most of my friends were pretty good with the exception of a couple..but you get that. I think if you are supported by the ppl you hold dearest that it makes it so much easier to manage things.

It's a real shame that your DH has such a negative attitude twds this. Has he always been like this? Some ppl never change their attitude about mental disorder which is a real shame as I would imagine that if they walked in our shoes they would want others to show them empathy and compassion..so why do they not give it to others now?

i am very lucky my fam is extremely supportive went as far as educating themselves on the illness to be there for me more if i need 'em....

I have to come from the negative here and I hate to do it. My family (11 years after dx) has never dealt with it, never accepted it, never been a part of my support system, and never will be. I have given up on looking towards them for anything. When I was first diagnosed, I was married, 3 months separated, and struggling with rapid cycling. My husband and I agreed to go back together, but he just hung in the shadows while I slipped further into the illness. Unfortunately, he passed away three years after my dx, and that entire time we had a platonic, emotionless marriage. I am sure it was hard on him, it was hard on everyone. But ... I was his financial ticket.

As for everyone else, like you said, they think in the dark ages. I tried one relationship, it went sour and I gave it up after 5 years. I doubt I'll try another.

I stay out of peoples way, I am friendly to those that are willing to respect me, but I don't get involved. I have enough to do taking care of me, and my elderly father. The rest of the world will have to go about their business without me. I try to stay as balanced as possible, stay on my meds, keep my appointments and have made a family of sorts from people who DO accept my illness and are willing to support me in my efforts to stay well. I don't have much contact with blood family and after all these years, I realize that it's better that way.

At first my Dad didn't want to accept it, I think he blamed himself. But when I gave him some literature on it to read he realized why I had acted the way I did when I was a teen and he saw that my mother had undiagnosed BP by the way she used to act. My brother and sister were good about accepting it, I don't know if they read up on it or not, but they are very supportive and have a lot of empathy for me. My sister has depression so it was easier forher I think. I say more education, the more the better. I just got a magazine that is really good, go to BPHope.com and you can subscribe. It comes out quarterly. it has some very good articles in it that are easy reads and also has articles in it about research that is being done on meds and the brain and such.

MOst of my family does not know. My husband is very supportive, but still doesn't really think it's all true. He just thinks if it is helping me feel better, then he's happy.
I told my brother yesterday that I was going to therapy and he said "oh, Jesus. DOn't let that guy talk you into thinking there's something wrong with you."
Guess I will not be telling him about the bp anytime soon.
Whacha gonna do?

I was diagnosed when my kids were 8 and 5, and I had been married a little over a year. My husband made many jokes about the Florida Lemon Law. Needless to say not very supportive. This has always been treated as my problem or something that I can be treated as defective for. I am starting to educate my children about this now, because this disease is genetic and there is a chance that one or both of them will end up being bipolar. I don't want them to think of this as a defect, but as something that is managable and that you can live with, just one of lifes challenges, albiet a difficult one.

I hope this helps Pal....

Thanks so much everyone for all your replies.

While my husband thinks this is a bunch of hooey, he does want me to be "happy" and does care about my well being, it's just that mental illness doesn't exist and if I wish to believe that I have one and such...well...if taking meds makes me happy....

My mother who has undiagnoised BP says I'm makinge excuses for my laziness and inconsistancy. She "doesn't want to talk about it." and yet has no problem when my sister tells her her granddaughter of 10 years has a personality disorder.

Am I bitter? Yes and no. I too am trying to educate at least my ten year old. He knows about mommy's switch in her head that shorts out sometimes. I fear he may have BP but don't dare share that with my husband or mother least I be told I'm making excuses for him.

This is why I looked up a support network. It's, dare I say, refreshing to see myself. To recognise that HEY I do that too!!

Thanks so much!!

Pal

I gen no family member support. They think that because Im well off that all my problems are just majically solved. Isnt that how it works...money = no problems? According to my family those are the laws of nature.

Familly support lol what must that be like, my familly supports me not in the least. I get more support from complete strangers.

Hey Pal I totally know what you are going through!!! I am not on meds and am afraid to see anyone again cuz they will think I am uncooperative about not wanting to take any pills!!! But man, somethin has got to give!! I have no family supprot--my adult children just say I am crazy--get over it mom and my parents refuse to look at me!!!! I am now and have always been the black sheep--though all my siblings are a little off in thier own ways!!! LOL Anyway, I have decided that this site is just about the only place I may get some support, so I read a lot of the posts and talk to a few people here---and keep telling myself that it will get better.

After saying all of that, I will help you too, if I can. Big hugs!!!

Hey Tex,

I was like you regarding meds. I don't drink, used to, but I remembering telling my pdoc to write me a prescription for alcohol because at least I knew what the side affects where.

Having been on meds (even if they left me flat) and having not been on meds, I DISTINCTLY notice a difference.

Now I need to find the right combination as it were.

That is the part I don't look forward too, but I know I can't live my life the way I'm going.

My husband may think it's "all in my head" but I know deep down what is really is.

Pal

My family wouldn't know what the word meant