Isolation

It's hard to explain how your life changes once you've had a Manic or Depressive episode ending in hospitalization and psych medication. Most people lose whatever support they have. Some are fortunate to have people who will stand by them, in spite of the challenges this presents. The tendency for those living with this disorder is to isolate due to trust and abandonment issues. It's critical to push past that and find a community, whether it's yours or it revolves around a hobby. It's so important to get out and overcome your fear of people and them finding out what you live with day in and day out. Make it a little step, but a step none the less. It can make all the difference knowing you're not alone.

Isolation

My Meet-up, Beyond Coping With Bipolar Disorder held its first meeting on Friday the 19th. I was nervous about starting this group with a variety of people at different stages of mental health. I was pleasantly surprised at how the meeting exceeded my expectations. There were a few glitches, but for the most part, people seemed genuinely happy to have a place to connect. Listening to everyone introduce themselves reminded me that one huge impact of this disorder is isolation. Typically people lose their friends, family members, and sometimes even their children when they get sick. Most people don't understand what BiPolar Disorder or Depression is, and the kinds of things it can make us do. It's much easier to push away because we're afraid of what we don't understand. When someone you love says something like, "get out of my way or I'll hurt you," it really makes you question whether you have the stamina to stay together. I look forward to the day when people understand that this disease is like any other medical disease that we have no control over.