I've been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder

[Mad4stevie]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

You're amazing. Congratulations on your new relationship. Stevie's music has cradled me through some really bad times too. Sometimes I cannot listen to her when I'm happy because things just come rushing back. But I'm in a good place now and grateful for that. Thanks for sharing.

I truly think that all things happen for a reason. In that situation, I had to believe that eventually it would be ok, because to not have hope would have completely wrecked me. There is a very fine line between doing whatever you can to save someone's life, and protecting your own wellbeing in that quest to help someone. I really think I stayed as long as I did because I felt that eventually he would get treatment.

The interesting thing is that since I left, so many people who are affected by this disorder (either themselves or a loved one), have come across my path. I teach at the college level, and there are numerous students who have come to me to discuss this topic because I do talk about how this has impacted my life. Additionally, my fiancee has a good friend from his childhood who is an unmedicated bipolar alcoholic, and I have tried to be a good listener for him. So many things about my ex and his friend are right on point. It's funny that we can talk about my ex without there being any normal feelings of jealousy because we are really talking about the illness, not my relationship with my ex.