I have people that know that I'm on the computer a lot but don't know what it is I do on the computer. They really don't know about DS at all. I try to tell people about this great site I've found and they all say it sounds great but then they wonder what I'm doing on the computer. They just don't get it.

I think people often mean well.. I have a good friend that does this as well.. She seems to think if you can somehow ignore something it will go away and life is like a bowl of cherries... she's also a control freak and keeps a ton bottled inside..
I agree with Cammie.. They just don't get it.. I avoid discussing certain topics and if they come up I respond very little.. It stops the conversation quickly...x

My closest friends Know about DS, I have to share a joke, or something I learned. At first it was weird, I'm old school and to quote people "I've never met" was uncomfortable -

Then I got used to it!

I get so much from this site, support, friendship, good stuff - even in bad times, a lesson on How I don't want to act : ) LOL!!!!

i only mention it to a couple people and I've never been asked that. I have heard of others whose significant others complained; could be they felt neglected or that they were overly controlling.

I could see if your spouse was on here all day it would get weird to you, like they're ignoring you.

So I think I'd have to see the context to know is someone's being unreasonable or judgemental. I think also people are wary of people with mental illnesses supporting each other, like we're one big looney bin and we're all reinforcing each other's psychosis or something. That's a pretty low understanding of functioning bipolars. It's not like we're all criminally insane here.

*shifts eyes back and forth, back and forth* LOL

My soon-to-be ex husband hated that I came on this site. He blamed this site for me trying to leave him in 2009... as if him abusing me had nothing to do with it. I don't talk much about the site to anyone else, I just say I'm on an online support group. Everyone else seems to understand since I am disabled and can't get out much to socialize.

Ha!!!! I'm always trying to DRAG people on here!!!!

(Or at least I used to. I don't recommend the place as highly as I once did.)

Heck, almost EVERYONE qualifies for one board or another!!!!

As soon as someone mentions to me that they have heartburn, I push them to join up and see if there's a group for it!!!

Nope. No one ever questions why I come on here.
I'm WAY too enthusiastic for them to even get a word in edgewise!!!

It's not everyone's cup of tea.
Why don't you kindly say to that person, 'Well, I get more out of it than I do talking to you.'?

(Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!!!)

My family, friends and my Pdoc , all think it's great that I have this site to go to when I need someone to talk to , or to help people

I guess some people just don't get it..that's sad, if you have someone like that in your life

What? I thought DS stood for "Dirty little Secret?" :)

Mr. Baby & The Babys know I have a BP support site I visit but that's about it. Sometimes while I'm over here on my computer with y'all, Mr. Baby is across the office on his computer on one of his sites. He has many where they talk about agriculture, tractors, hunting, jeeping, snowmobiling.

It's all good!

DS is only one node on my recovery network. I will talk freely about my own recovery, and I will share info to assist in your recovery, but I consider casual talk of details about my actual network to be gossip. Where I go and what is said within my recovery program stays in my recovery program.

It is not a secret. Just private and anonymous.

Just say "NO" to gossip.

i agree with arfie... though i've messed up before

I love DS and I cannot live without it. I have to have the support that I do on here, even when folks say stuff that I dont' want to hear. The Gita says: "That which tastes like nectar at first but is bitter later is of the nature of evil, but that which tastes like poisin at first but nectar later is of the nature of goodness (speaking of figurative things, not literal)." I do believe this very strongly.

I thank God for DS and everyone on here every single day because without these people I would probably be not be here.

But, I can see your point and I have in the past felt that way.

I agree with Arfie- this is a support/recovery group. We don't need people's approval or permission to seek support or recovery.

You wouldn't ask someone "Is it ok if I go to an AA meeting? Can I do that?" The type of person who might object would be the alcoholic who thinks "no cuz then you might abandon me".

Sort of like what Pandora said; I've seen people here more than once say someone didn't want them on here because we let them know they were in a bad relationship. Controlling people don't want others to have outside input because then they lose control. Ick!

I get on here to have some connection with people. I live a very solitary life and DS is my main interaction.