Do they really understand

[Sarapineda]

My family say they understand me being bipolar....but i dont think they do...i dont take medication because it makes me feel like a zombie....and being pregnent and bipolar has me freaking out about a lot of things and my family call.me crazy...its not my fault i try so hard not to freak but i cant help it i cant control my moods or emotions....how do ic get my family to understand...

[lindahand]

I think taking them to a therapy session is a good idea. Then they could find better ways of coping rather than calling you crazy. They will never understand fully what you are going through, not that they don't want to, they can't. That is why coming on here or other places like moodgarden.org is helpful. These are people who DO understand.

You and your family will come to an understanding if you work at it. You may need to, while you are calm, tell them what you need when you are in an episode. And that may take some experimenting. When I am freaking out I need to be held and told I am safe for example. My husband did that once and it worked so well I told him to keep doing it.

When you are done with your pregnancy you may want to investigate other medications. It took me three years to get a combination that works. It is worth it. And quite often the Zombie feeling wears off after a month or so. If you have good health coverage or access to money you may want to try Abilify as it is slightly stimulating versus zombification. It is really expensive though so you need good coverage to afford it, or to be poor to the point that you qualify for their assistance programs where you get your meds free from the company.

[darlenedaisy]

Not all bipolar meds make a person feel like a zombie. It just takes time to find the right fit for meds for your body chemistry. So dont give up on meds, they really do help.

[thatquietgirl]

Your family has to come around in their own time.  =\  I know it's hard.  It took mine a while to come to terms, some family members longer than others.  Something that helped was taking them with me to a therapy appointment.  My therapist and I planned for it ahead of time and we decided it was ok for her to explain what bipolar disorder was and what my specific symptoms and triggers were and anything beyond that she had to ask my permission to divulge information about.  They also were instructed on how to best handle it so I didn't feel awkward and didn't get annoyed by frequent accusations of, "Are you manic/depressed?  You're doing XYZ."  It was definitely a turning point, especially for my father.

Kay Redford Jamison put it best in her book "An Unquiet Mind" (I recommend it, if you haven't read it.).  It's difficult for someone who doesn't have the disorder to understand it.