it’s weird hearing this from someone who actually is bipolar. my mother has struggled with even accepting that fact that she has been diagnosed. You think that she would be willing to admit it after the face that she was committed three times, twice to the state mental institution. I grew up with manic phases terrifying me and depressive ones hurting me. She still to this day refuses to believe she is ill, but this entry gives me hope. It’s a very lonely illness for the loved ones around the diagnosed, and even lonelier for the actual diagnosed. So it’s refreshing and comforting that there are other people out there struggling as well, but making it work.
Thank you.

I am so glad that what I wrote is of some use to you! :D

When I was first diagnosed (after my largest psychosis) I too was in denial. I reasoned with myself that it was only a one off. It was only when I started to go into mania again that I stopped being in denial about it and started taking responsibility for my own health. This denial was despite the fact that I was almost the textbook definition of bipolar!

That sounds truly awful – it must have been so confusing as a child to see your mother like that… The fact is, she’s only going to make herself worse by denying that she’s ill. There’s so much stigma about these kinds of things… But why would she still be in denial if she’s been comitted three times? In some respects the denial is what makes her crazy rather than the illness. I imagine after all this time there is a lot of guilt and shame over it all, maybe if she can admit she has a problem and disocciate rational non-manic/psychotic her then she can make herself get better. I would recommend contacting the manic depression fellowship – they may well have some useful advice.

I really admire you, but I can’t do some of your tips. I wished I could. I’ve missed diagnosed with major depression since I was 13, now I’m 18 and after a suicide attempt I was sent to a menthal clinic, I spent 2 weeks there. I thought I was there to heal my wounds and get rid of all the medication I had taken, but the next week I realized I had to take care of myself, right now I have to take a cocktail of pills everyday, but sometimes I just can’t control myself, a month ago or somerhing like that I got drunk (which is the WORST thing I could have ever done) and I had a horrible mania or hipomania attack (I can’t difference them yet). I yelled at my ex-boyfriend (5 year-realtionship where he psychollogically abused from me and hit me) but when I realized he got a new girlfriend so soon I was just insane ( I know this sounds like a teenage drama, but I’m really traumatized by this relationship), well I’ll avoid the details of that crisis, but my therapist had helped me a lot (without medication), meditation is a great way to know yourself better and to control your emotions, I’m just beginning, but it has been very useful during my little crisis. I’d love to join a support group, but there’s not one in here. I’m trying to live with this, but it’s very difficult I can’t drink (I’m not alcoholic at all) but I’m 18 and I feel different, because I can’t do a lot of stuff that normal people of my age do and I’m frustrated, because I’ll have to live with this the rest of my life. I took a brake from University, one semester to get stable (sp?), but I’m still not over this. Sometimes I can’t except anything from the future, because having kids that might get this illness too is something I don’t want to, I don’t wish this for anybody.
I’m sorry for bothering you with all of this, actually I don’t expect an answer I think I’m mostly doing this to take this from my chest right now. Of course I’d love you to answer me, but I don’t have much hope, I have posted things like that before on different support groups on the net where people say they’re totally wanting to help and to talk about some issues,,until now I haven’t gotten a single reply u,u

PS. Sorry about my English, I’m a Spanish speaker, but I hope the comment is understandable