MY Life

[Tears1963]

I m a 55 year old caring for a 26 year old my daughter Rachel and she has Bipolar disorder plus Anxiety it hurts everyday cause I have Depression as well. And its like no one else understands us 2 funny people .

[quirkywords]

Tears1963,

Welcome to the forum. You are dealing with a lot and I appreciate the fact you have shared your story.

I have lived with a diagnosis for over 40 years of bipolar and I know my mum found it hard when I was in my late teens. She had her own mental health issues .Back in the 1970s there was very little understanding and knowledge.

Even though now there is more information around and organisations like Beyond Blue, I can understand while you feel no one understands you and your daughter.

I think unless you are caring for someone or experiencing mental illness, it is hard to understand the complexity of day to day life.

Have you contacted a support group for carers looking after someone with a mental illness?

There is a thread here Called This bipolar life where people with bipolar or those caring for someone with bipolar come in and chat, ask questions or just be themselves amongst others who understand.

In what way can we help you ? Does your anxiety affect how you care for your daughter?

I ask questions so I can find out more. Feel free not to answer but I would like to find out more so I can help.

Quirky

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Tears1963,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for joining us!

Quirky wrote a great post welcoming you and introducing you to the Bipolar Thread on BeyondBlue. I personally don't have bipolar but I know people that do so I can understand some of the stigma around it. Sadly it's very misunderstood.

Please know that there are other people in the forums who are dealing with bipolar, anxiety and depression - you're not alone here. This forum can be a bit overwhelming at times, but I know how supportive it can be. People do understand. People do get it.

Feel free to post back again if you like; or let us know how we can be here for you.

[Browneyedgirl82]

Dear My Life,

I spent about 5 years being the main carer for my sister who has Borderline Personality Disorder which is similar to Bipolar. During that time I felt abandoned by the rest of the family who refused to admit she had a problem. At that time I felt no one understood what I was going through except my psychologist. It can be very helpful to talk to someone neutral like a support group or therapist to know that you're not alone in what you go through. I know that still now my sister feels no one understands her, but it's not the case, we just don't know how to communicate well with her and although we have all offered support at different times, she always feels misunderstood. It might be helpful for both of you to seek separate support as sometimes being in that carer bubble can also be toxic for your frame of mind. Make sure you are taking care of yourself and finding some time out as caring for someone, especially when battling your own depression can be very difficult.