How to tell family/friends that you are bipolar?

How did you tell family members (parents) and people you are in a serious relationship with that you are bipolar? I am very concerned that they will think I am crazy and not want to be around me anymore.

lol ive tried telling people, but most just shrug, "who isn't?!" i figure its better that way anyways. what's in a name? i just scare people when i tell them what i REALLY think i am (schizoaffective - bipolar and schizophrenic). i think my parents are still in denial about it even after i REALLY lost it, cuz they didnt witness...

i also know a lot of people on antidepressants - for some reason u hear bout depression more than bipolar, i guess no one cares if they're overly excited. so even admitting to medication may blow right over their head(s) with anther shrug.

I told my mom and she thinks it's a joke anyway. She doesn't think it's a "real" illness, and I guess she thinks it's overly diagnosed. But, i can't MAKE her understand. So, oh well!

just be as open and honest as you possibly can. if people don't want to know you because you are bipolar, then they are quite possibly not worth your time in the first place.

i'm extremely open about my illness with everyone. the only way for people to understand is for it to be explained to them.. try not to be frustrated by their inability to relate. it's not their fault.

I sympathise. My husband originally told me (I was diagnosed about 4 years before I met him) that mental illness was just people who couldn't control themselves!!!!

Thank goodness for the benefit of the world that I have now educated him otherwise.

When originally diagnosed at 25, my mother started crying and saying that it is always the mother's fault and that the therapists were only going to blame her. She kept asking my doctor when I would get better. Little did she realise at the time that it was a lifelong thing.

Dear Abyss:first rule to live by nobody in this world is completely *sane*, anybody can go *insane* at any moment. Secondly *bipolar* is just a label to name what our disease is so we can better understand ourselves. The last time I was hospitalized, my psychiatrist & I had a very nice conversation. We both agreed that there really is no such thing as *normal* or *abnormal*. It is all a matter of labels. Labels can be both good & bad. They are good when we use them only as a description to understand ourselves. They are bad when we use them to discriminate against a person or groups of people with certain characteristics.


*BipolarBear*

Dear Abyss:first rule to live by nobody in this world is completely *sane*, anybody can go *insane* at any moment. Secondly *bipolar* is just a label to name what our disease is so we can better understand ourselves. The last time I was hospitalized, my psychiatrist & I had a very nice conversation. We both agreed that there really is no such thing as *normal* or *abnormal*. It is all a matter of labels. Labels can be both good & bad. They are good when we use them only as a description to understand ourselves. They are bad when we use them to discriminate against a person or groups of people with certain characteristics.


*BipolarBear*

Well, it depends IMO. For instance, in my last place of employment I outed myself with a couple of folks. That seemed OK for some time. But a couple of things happened which were open to consideration, and it seemed that my identity and even my work output bore some taint on them because of my condition. I found this unfair and frustrating, and I wish I had kept my mouth shut.

With my very closest friends and spouse, they know, a couple are social workers, and they don't care, because the caring for me was already well underway and invested before this came up.

My eldest son who has a mild case of ADD, knows that I have something I takes meds for, but, I have not gotten more specific with him. Certainly long before either of them is of parenting age, they will know about the family illnesses so they can make intellegent choices.

W

I told my parents and in-laws that I was "manic- depressive" rather than Bipolar as they are more fimilar with that term. I then told them it is now called Bipolar.

All understood and were supportive. My mother knows about it because her sister is manic-depressive.

I told them my experiences with it over my life time.

As for co-workers and other non-family member and friends, I suggest keeping it to yourself. As long as you are a functioning member of society I see no reason to tell your secret to those that may turn on you later and tell everyone they know. People are mostly ignorant about mental illness. The stigma of it is still very negative in todays society.