Damn, I dunno which would make me angrier. Your situation or when my mother blames EVERYTHING on my bipolar (seriously, when I said I don't like dressing up everyday she was like, "you better talk to your psychiatrist about that." And that's mild
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Talk about two ends of the spectrum, wow. I have to say I'm glad no one treats me like your mom. Every so often when I'm having a strong burst of emotion (crying or laughing too hard) my sister will get all concerned and ask if I've had too much meds (or skipped a dose) and that hurts; I don't think I could stand to be in your situation. I'm glad you're getting out and I hope it goes well for you!!
Thank you; I definitely need to set boundaries. Mostly I just wanted to get this out there so I don't feel so alone, and it worked!
She only does it when she herself is in a depression. luckily things have been okay for awhile.
And my SO will say the same thing your sister does! He also sometimes mistakes having energy and being really happy as mania. There's a difference, Shane! But I love him dearly.
Setting boundaries was the best thing I did. At the same time my psychiatrist gave me the "you have the right to change your mind, to speak your mind, to feel the way you feel, to be happy or sad sometimes, etc" speech, and the two ideas coincided wonderfully. Setting boundaries made me stick up for myself and reinforce those "rights."
It absolutely kills me that ignorance of mental disorders still prevails in this supposed "enlightened"society. My mother told me after my diagnosis that it's "no excuse to be a fuck-up" Really, mom?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: we can no more "snap out of it" than a person with a broken leg can snap out of their agony. Kick a crutch out from a cripple and tell them they're just using it as a crutch. After all, it's they're own dam fault they cam't walk, it's "all in your head". All they have to do is want it bad enough, sheer willpower alone will make them better!
Sorry for the novel.gunblade_girlAugust 9 2011, 21:57:54 UTC
This made me laugh just because my grandmother is paralyzed from the waist down, and she's the biggest believer in "if I can't see it, it's not real, so quit your bitching cause some people have 'real' problems." So here I am, my family has half-convinced me this diagnosis is an 'excuse', and of course I'm going to feel bad looking at her when she's obviously visibly disabled, and it just makes me not want to say anything at all. When I was diagnosed the first time when I was fifteen (after a suicide attempt) she was the one who was the most actively anti-pill, anti-diagnosis, and is the reason I quit seeking treatment and suffered alone for years. I know that she does care in her own way, she just expresses it bizarrely and inappropriately
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Re: Sorry for the novel.skin_deep1073August 10 2011, 19:15:29 UTC
I'm sorry to hear about those of you who deal with this!
I'm fairly lucky to have people in my life who don't deny that I have BPD...possibly because they saw the 180 I did after going on medication in 2007. As for those who now judge me because of the disorder - I don't allow them to be a part of my life. I realize this isn't always easy, because often they can be family members or close friends - but if they are offended by me, I choose to be offended by THEM. I don't have time for ignorance, life with bipolar is stressful enough!
Re: Sorry for the novel.gunblade_girlAugust 11 2011, 00:36:40 UTC
What's crazy to me is the people who are the most adamant about me not taking meds are the very people whom, after I started the meds, were gushing about how happy I looked and how they couldn't remember the last time I had laughed.
I agree with you on that last part! I'm slowly but surely growing a backbone. Life is definitely too short.
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Thank you; I definitely need to set boundaries. Mostly I just wanted to get this out there so I don't feel so alone, and it worked!
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And my SO will say the same thing your sister does! He also sometimes mistakes having energy and being really happy as mania. There's a difference, Shane! But I love him dearly.
Setting boundaries was the best thing I did. At the same time my psychiatrist gave me the "you have the right to change your mind, to speak your mind, to feel the way you feel, to be happy or sad sometimes, etc" speech, and the two ideas coincided wonderfully. Setting boundaries made me stick up for myself and reinforce those "rights."
Good luck!
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I've said it before and I'll say it again: we can no more "snap out of it" than a person with a broken leg can snap out of their agony. Kick a crutch out from a cripple and tell them they're just using it as a crutch. After all, it's they're own dam fault they cam't walk, it's "all in your head". All they have to do is want it bad enough, sheer willpower alone will make them better!
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I'm fairly lucky to have people in my life who don't deny that I have BPD...possibly because they saw the 180 I did after going on medication in 2007. As for those who now judge me because of the disorder - I don't allow them to be a part of my life. I realize this isn't always easy, because often they can be family members or close friends - but if they are offended by me, I choose to be offended by THEM. I don't have time for ignorance, life with bipolar is stressful enough!
Reply
I agree with you on that last part! I'm slowly but surely growing a backbone. Life is definitely too short.
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