Bipolar Disorder: How To Make Friends
Where to look to find your people when making friends with bipolar disorder.
“We’re having a bonfire,” the text message read. “Hot dogs, s’mores, and live music. We’d love for you to come.”
As I stared at the words on my phone, my heart sped up and my mind raced.
Do I have the energy to fight my social anxiety and hang out with friends? I’ve said “no” so many times. Is it better to force myself to go so I don’t lose them as a friend?
Making friends with bipolar disorder is tough.
Bipolar isolation
Living with bipolar disorder is very isolating. Not only does mental illness make you unable to function some days, it also distorts the way you see the world.
When you can’t trust the things you see or hear, it makes it feel impossible to trust anything — especially people. So you isolate yourself even more.
I get it. That’s been my life for most of the last 30 years. Even when I go to a social gathering, I’m usually a wallflower.
Small talk is painful, and if people want to talk about my health conditions, their questions often overwhelm me.
