Bipolar Support Group

is it me, or is it hard to be bipolar and keep friends. i do have friends. some friends i had for years, some fairly new. but there is no one that i see on a regular basis that i can call a good friend besides my boyfriend that is. on friday i was supposed to go out with this girl i met off the net and we seemed to hit it off great, but she stood me up and never called or answered any of my calls. i was sitting in the living room later that night and my boyfriends friend went like, maybe she just doesnt wanna hang out with you, just dont wanna see you and shit like that. it really hurt my feelings. if she doesnt want to hang out just tell me dont just not call, thats so rude. i cant seem to find anyone who understands me but other bp folks, but sometimes two ppl with bipolar just cant get along and i lost a fairly good friend in october. is it hard for ya'll to keep friends. i feel so lonley. all i have is my family and my boyfriend, i cant even keep a online girlfriend for more than one meeting. Jezz, am i frustrated.

Ever since I was diagnosed with bipolar, I do find it hard to keep friends, but I think it's due to my rapid cycling. I don't have as much patience for others like I used to. When I'm manic, sometimes I come off a bit strong and insensitive, so I'm sure that's a factor as well. I do have alot of friends, but a majority of them are people I knew before my diagnosis of bipolar. I don't even tell people that I'm bipolar except for a certain few that I know I can trust. I'm afraid that if I tell others about my bipolar, they'll leave before they even get a chance to know the real me.

I've never had many friends. I feel that I don't live up to expectations in their eyes, and honestly, I usually don't. Especially when I'm in isolation mode and I don't talk to anyone for days or weeks. Nobody seems to understand how I can do that, especially to them. They take it personally, as I would too I guess. I have two close friends that accept me the way I am, although I know I exasperate the hell out of them at times and they probably just want to wash their hands of me.

im the same way. a friend called yesterday and wanted to hang out and i explained i was feeling tired( depressed) and i just wanted to stay home. Think he just does'nt really get bi-polar . He does seem to like the hypomanic part of me . oh well. im used to having friends fade away.i don't get too attached anymore....try at least.

Me too. I never get attached. It's easier that way. And then I don't have to feel that I'm letting anyone down either.

I don't get attached to people either because it seems like whenever I do, the people I care about most leave me. It's not worth the heartache of putting everything you have into a friendship only to end up being disappointed in the end.

I had friends until they found out I suffer from mental illness, it doesn't bother me much, I am not a social person, I don't like being around people much. My kids say I am a hermit and that is why I have no friends.

What do you say to those that tell you if you don't give others a chance, give people and friendships a chance, then you will never know what it feels like to NOT have disappointment in the end? Are we really that scared? I am that scared. I think I prefer a life (or hell) of my own making rather than leave things up to chance and risk heartbreak and disappointment.

Given all of the things that have happened to me (4 traumas over the span of 18 years), I've learned to depend on myself and myself alone. I like it that way because I don't have to depend on others for my own emotional well-being.

My thoughts and feelings exactly.