Some Days Are Really Hard. And on Those Days, I Need You the Most.

I have bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed about two years ago, but I’ve been living with symptoms of this disorder for most of my life. Since my diagnosis, I’ve seen a lot of misconceptions out there about it. There are a lot of things I wish I could share with people to tell them about what it’s really like living with this disorder.

• What is Bipolar disorder?

But there’s one thing in particular I really need you to understand about mental illness:

It’s hard. Living with bipolar disorder is hard for me.

Living with any mental illness can be hard. Living with any illness at all can be hard. Living can be hard sometimes.

But I need you to understand that life is really genuinely hard for me some days (actually, a lot of days). I spend a lot of time trying to explain that I can live a “normal” life despite living with mental illness. I spend a lot of time trying to explain that people who have bipolar disorder are not “crazy.” And even though these things are true, at the end of the day, I struggle a lot.

I’m not telling you this because I want your pity. In fact, please don’t pity me. I’m telling you this because sometimes I feel incredibly broken, and I require a lot of support and love from other people. Sometimes I need a little extra affirmation in my existence. Sometimes it takes everything in me to just keep on living, and in those moments, I need the most support.

So please understand that some days I can barely get out of bed, much less function at school or work or in social settings. Some days are just really hard. And it’s on those days that I need you the most.

If you or someone you know needs help, visit our prevention resources page.

If you need support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741.

Image via Thinkstock