Tough maintaining Friendships

[determined2beatit]

Does anyone find that even your close family and friends have trouble dealing with your moods and emotions? You try your hardest to keep it under control but even close relationships suffer.

[Xila31]

I think that it is hard to be friends with us bipolar people for a lot of reasons. Paranoia, mood swings, psychosis, and other disorders that go along with bipolar (such as borderline personality, anxiety disorders, schizoid, etc. etc.) it makes it hard to keep friends. I personally have trouble trusting people because I was let down so often. It is handwork to maintain a friendship, even without the bipolar.

I don't know what to tell you except may you should seek a therapist as well. Even support people need support. Maybe you can work through anything your having trouble with in a professional environment. Just a thought.

[powersda]

I have a best friend who is bipolar. I have been there for her thick and thin. I have gotten to the point where I'm so fed up with being blamed for everything that has gone wrong in her life. There has been so many arguments with her over my life. For example, my family has been a main target for her to be jealous of.  The most recent argument is that I have made her pregnancy miserable! I have no clue where this comes from. I'm ready to throw in the towel and stop talking to her. I'm exhausted dealing with her moods. I just need advice on how I should deal with this. I'm one of her only friends and I know she needs me.

[HoneyNut]

I acknowledge that this was created almost two years ago, but I feel as if my closest relationships (the ones we don't get to choose, i.e. family) does suffer the most.  I find that it's easiest to "let loose" on the ones closest to me, because they already know what is going on.  It never excuses my behavior towards them, because more often than not they don't deserve the misdirected emotions.

HoᴖeyNᴗt

[BD63085]

I actually got rid of all of my friends and many members of my family because they do not even believe that I am bipolar.  They make jokes and they think that I am playing.  I tell them I look and sound good, but I do have real issues that should be understood; like I understand some of their petty issues.

I can tell you first-hand that eventually you will meet people who will understand and be patient with you when the time is right.

As for family members; I think that if they can't understand after everything that we do for them-that's too bad.

Basically what I am saying is, you will never be alone because there will always be at least one person in your life that will understand and be there for you.

[Azzurohaze]

i can really relate to this - i get completely exhausted after an elevated phase and then bomb out and tend to then isolate myself for days on end upon end because i feel like everybody is sick of me and my moods and my whining and pity parties ... i asked my husband if i was selfish ... i am feeling really yuk at the moment ... thankfully he said i wasn't selfish but i don't know ... it is hard to balance spending quality time with friends without peeving them off and entertaining and then going to the downside and wanting nothing to do with anybody ... and not wanting to explain that i do have a problem cause i feel so stigmatised by it all

[triedeverymed]

Oh you bet! My husband get annoyed after awhile even though he tries to help, it gets to be abit much after awhile. Then I tend to isolate, I don't want to explain my problems to all my friends, I feel like they don't want to hear whining. So I've lost track of a lot of my old friends. I don't have anyone I really hang out with. I just do a lot of stuff by myself.
Sometimes I get in a mood and I don't want to be around others but when I get with others I'm usually OK. It's weird. I understand though. This is a hard disease for anyone without it to understand!!

[RubyShooz]

Yes, it is difficult.  I have been married and divorced 3 times because my husbands had difficulty with my illness.  Unless someone has personally been diagnosed with bipolar, it is hard for them to understand how it feels, and how we can't just "snap out of it".

[Nikki2226]

Yes, my relationship with my husband has suffered greatly.  I find it so hard to be nice and help around the house and just be a good, caring wife like I used to be.  I know he is suffering because of my problem, and its just not fair.  I find myself wanting to run away from all of my friends and family so I don't hurt them.  But I need them.  It is a real tough situation.