To My Best Friend With Bipolar Disorder
To my best friend and soul sister,
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, I didn’t know how to tell you. I was scared to tell you, actually. I was afraid you would listen to the stigma and be unable to accept me because of it. But, being my best friend, of course accepted me, diagnosis and all. You accepted me when other people close to me could not. Thank you for your true and honest acceptance during a time when I expected none.
• What is Bipolar disorder?
When you were diagnosed, I was heartbroken. I would never wish this illness on anyone, especially my other half. But at the same time, I was relieved. Finally, there would be someone close to me who understands what I’m going through. You understand what the symptoms are like — the mood swings, the fluctuating emotions and the pain. You understand why all of my relationships have ended because I wasn’t managing my illness properly, and you learned from that. Thank you for accepting your diagnosis and being there to understand what I’m going through.
Even before you were diagnosed, you always offered me support. After we were both diagnosed, that support grew stronger on both ends. You support me through my depressive episodes by just being with me, eating junk and watching Disney movies. You support me when I’m manic, talking me down and convincing me not to do anything foolish. You support me through the fights I cause with my family during a manic episode, and though you don’t take sides, you empathize with me and also tell me where I went wrong. Thank you for your unwavering support no matter how I’m feeling.
Our diagnosis is a good thing for us to have in common. It allows us to offer each other acceptance, understanding and support. I am grateful we can be that for each other. I am grateful for your insights and opinions about our illness. I am happy you’re my person, my safe place to talk. I am thankful it’s you who also has bipolar disorder. I’m thankful it’s you I am fighting this battle with. Thank you for being my battle buddy. Thank you for being my best friend. And thank you for being bipolar.
Love,
Your best friend and soul sister
Madelyn is a 24-year-old single mother of a beautiful 1-year-old genius. She enjoys coffee, maxi skirts, scary movies and long naps. She’s currently trying to break into the blogging world and help break the stigma of mental illness. She battles Bipolar I Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Postpartum Depression and ADHD.
madelyn-heslet