How Being Open about Bipolar Disorder Affects Friendships
Bipolar disorder can have many co-occurring diagnoses. Today I am going to discuss just two of my co-occurring diagnoses and give you an example of each of them and how they would have affected my friendships, if I wasn’t open about having bipolar disorder with my friends. I think you will agree with me that the fact that I am open about having bipolar disorder with my close friends is something that has benefited me on my path to recovery for mental health.
I have bipolar delusions. Bipolar delusions are a tricky thing. They change your perception and the way you see the world, and others around you. They make you believe things about people you love and care for, things that are not true.
Let me give you an example. I have a friend who runs a non-profit that I volunteer for. At one point I was sick with a sinus infection. I didn’t hear from her for a week. In my bipolar delusional mind, I took it personally that I hadn’t heard from her. However, since she knows about my illness I could say to her. “Hey, I don’t know if you are mad at me, and I did something, or if it is just my delusional mind at work here, but I feel like we haven’t communicated as much, or as often as we normally do.”
She was then able to reassure me that “Tosha it must be your delusions because you have done nothing wrong.”
If I wouldn’t have been open with her about my illness and spoken to her about having delusions in the past, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to her about th...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tosha Maaks Tags: Bipolar Friends Personal Relationships Stigma bipolar delusions Bipolar Disorder Communication Depressive Episode Friendship losing friends Making Friends Manic Episode Paranoia Perception Separation Anxiety uncommon sympto Source Type: blogs