Newbie with a few support questions

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-14-2004
Newbie with a few support questions
3
Tue, 12-14-2004 - 11:04pm

Hello everybody. My name is Emily. I'm 19 and just got the digonsis back last Friday (Dec.10) that basicially confirmed I am bipolor and not dysthmic like my doctor had orginonally thought.

Right now though, it seems like the absolute wrong time to be asking for help. It's exam week at school and everybody there is 10x more stressed than they already are the rest of the year (I'm in college), my best friend as basicially told her to leave her alone after a series of bad choices and wrong things said on my behalf and my mom still believes I'm over reacting to the smallist situations because I don't know how to grow up. It truly feels like the only person I can open up to is my 13-year-old sister and I'm not agist or anything, but I really don't want to burden her. I am seeing a counciler, a tdoc (I think that's what you call them here) and a physician, but they're not always around and I can't just go to them.

I guess my question is: how to I make the important people in my life understand just what's going on and tell them just how much they're hurting me by telling me it's either a) not their problem or b) I just need to grow up? And most importantly: how do I go about this without hurting anybody?

Thanks for your time.




Edited 12/14/2004 11:08 pm ET ET by missemilyjane
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Wed, 12-15-2004 - 12:33am

Emily,

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2004
Wed, 12-15-2004 - 8:35am

Your question has got to be one of the hardest things to deal with when first diagnosed.

Kristen

Mom to 8 wonderful children!

Loriann Melissahttp://lilypie.com/baby1/060521/1/16/1/-5

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2004
Wed, 12-15-2004 - 9:06am
Hi, Emily. Welcome. I'm not sure how you deal with this illness without hurting those around you. You need to be a little selfish. Take time for you. Don't let people hurt you because they don't understand your illness. They have never lived inside your head and dealt with the depression or the racing throughts or the anxiety or any other emotion you are dealing with. They don't get it. Some will try to understand, others will never accept your diagnosis. We know, we've been there. That's part of why we are here on this board. We will be here for you in any way we can. I'm glad that you took a very important first step in finding people that will understand what you are going through. That's why I am here (my husband doesn't believe bipolar is a real thing). Some people on this board were diagnosed many years ago, some a few weeks ago. We have students, stay at home moms, doctors, nurses, people that work full time, part time, are on disability, etc, etc. Someone here has been through just about anything you will run into. We look forward to getting to know you. Good Luck on your exams!!! Amanda