Looking for a Support Group

[sad_dragon]

I suffer from depression and anxiety. I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar II however not fully convinced I suffer from this condition. What I do know is it has been hard coping with mental illness alone. I don't have friends or family that truly understand the struggle everyday to get up and just "be normal." I have tried talking with therapists but have not found one that I can really connect with. I have been on every medication used to treat these conditions and none have provided more than 3 months of symptom relief before no longer working. I'm hoping to find others that I can connect with, have good discussions about these conditions, and provide uplifting and encouraging ways to deal with symptoms.

[hurtingheart1]

I feel you I'm in similar spot as you and want the same💞

[sad_dragon in reply to hurtingheart1]

Hi hurtingheart1. Thank you for the reply. It's good to know that we are not alone in this and that many of us are experiencing the same feeling of being misunderstood.

[Hidden]

Hi sad_dragon!

I completely understand where you’re coming from. I don’t think that many people with a mental illness feel as if their family/friends understand what they’re going through. I don’t know if that’s the depression telling us that no one understands, or if it’s because they don’t have a mental illness and therefore cannot identify or relate to us. Either way, it is possible to fight the beast on your own! Let go of the need to be understood and take responsibility for your mental illness. I don’t mean that in a harsh way, just that action on your part is crucial to recovery. I have to work on it everyday and twice on Sunday. The need to work on myself never ends. It’s necessary to ensure that I live as well as I can. Our disease never ends either! Being normal doesn’t really exist for me, just being the best I can be is enough. You can work through this! Try to come to a level of acceptance about your mental illness and understand that it is, what it is! I hope you can find some peace for your journey! Hugs!!

[sad_dragon in reply to Hidden]

Thank you GratitudeFirst. When I first discovered that it was possible that I may never be "cured" of this illness it sent me into an entirely different state. At the time I was taking medication and thought to myself this is the way it will be forever. Taking pills, changing them every time they stopped working and going through all of the side effects when I started something new. It was a horrible way to be and feel. You are right that I need to accept that I have this condition and know that to feel okay I have to do the things that make me feel okay. Not the opposite. That is where I struggle because I get so down on myself and feel so entirely worthless that I tend to do the opposite of what I should even though I know it will make my symptoms flair up or make me feel worse about myself. I know I have to stop leading the path to destruction but find it so hard when my family, co-workers and friends don't understand how hard somethings are for me to do even when I appear to be okay. I guess the key to this is stop letting the illness define who I am and how I will be and take control. Thank you for the support.

[Hidden in reply to sad_dragon]

You’re very welcome!

[sad_dragon]

Thank you! I will check it out.

[Madison10]

I am also looking for a support group in my area to hopefully be helped and help others. I finally found one and it really helped and one by one, they all Quit. I stumble on this one online and it’s good having people to talk to and who understand the struggle. I also don’t have any friends or family that are even interested to understand. My wife is the worst one of all. She starts arguments daily and I am struggling with this depression. I am on medication and I am trying to help the medication work. I am on Zoloft right now but I wish there was a wonder pill.

I also take a meditation class. It is very calming and I’m very comfortable to be around. Music saves my life, I try to get lost in it. I have tried different medications but they don’t seem to work

[Hidden in reply to Madison10]

Music is a huge deal for me too. I listen to it every single day. It helps lift my spirits during the day and calms me down before bed. I have only 1 person that is remotely interested in my illness and recovery is my sister-in-law. My real sister who totally understood because she had it too passed away last December leaving a gaping hole in my heart. My husband tries, I think, but seems bored by the whole thing, including my diabetes. Well, I have really run my fingers and have honestly lost track of the topic! 😲. Have a great 4th and hang in there!