Suzieq, I am so sorry for all the pain you've endured in your life. I am glad you are doing so much better and I know you're going to be just fine.
I am curious about something you wrote. You said you opted to abort (no judgment here, I did the same at age 19) and the doctor said "look what you killed". Were you saying that the doctor who performed the abortion said this to you?

[ January 23, 2006, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Bluebird ]

Labels? Oh, yeah. I usually cut those out of my clothes. No matter what kind of label you end up wearing--they can make you uncomfortable. I vote for cutting out the labels. That includes the labels we put on people.

kidogo, I haven't welcomed you yet, so WELCOME!!!
What part of NY are you in? I lived in the state for 45 years.

Hello Bluebird, thanks for the welcome. I live in the Mohawk Valley--little town called Utica. I've only been here a little over a year. A family on my street moved here from Colorado about 4 years ago.
My mom went to Colorado once. I didn't get to go.

Go to the NAMI main page, look under TAKE ACTION, FIGHT STIGMA. You'll find Stigmabusters there.

[ February 24, 2006, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: suzieq ]

Oh yes, I've heard of Utica. I was in Orange County, which is about halfway between Albany and NYC. CO is beautiful!! Do you know what part of CO your neighbors moved from?

Suzie, that is unbelievable! Did the man not see his part in the whole thing? I would never judge a woman who has been through it. God forgave me so who am I to condemn anyone? I do try to discourage women from making the same mistake I made, just so they won't have to go through what we did.

Why do you have the need to tell others you are bipolar? My grandson just married his girlfriend who I've known and had in my home many times and gone shopping with etc, for 3 years now. I just found out she was bipolar when we were picking up our prescriptions together. I never knew, never cared. I loved her before and do now, nothing changed because she is bipolar. To me its like someone above said, like being diabetec, or having psorasis...As far as your family being jerks at times, aren't a lot of families the same? Bipolar or not you have to help yourself be whole, you need to read everything you can find to help yourself and try to ignore the things around you that hurt you, we all have to do this from time to time. Maybe you could find a support group for women with problems in general. I'll pray for you.

[ February 26, 2006, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Some people are comfotable about admitting they have or have had mental health problems, just as some cancer survivors will discuss and share to help others, while some just want to forget it ever happened. It's a very personal thing, and I don't think anyone knows how they'll act until or unless they've been there.

Sue and others like her are working very hard to help themselves. Just because we're willing to talk about the problem we've had now and in the past does not mean we are not willing to help ourselves. It means we are.

Several of those who have posted here have been hurt by telling others of their mental illness.

To quote an esteemed boomer (Dianne), "If it hurts, don't do it twice."

smile

As I said previously, for all those who are interested in fighting Stigma, go to NAMI, Stigmabusters. It's time all of us who suffer from depression, mental illness, etc... stick together and fight IGNORANCE.

I have been posting on this forum for a while now and have only found compassion, support, unity and the highest level of dignity among BWS sisters. I find it hard to believe that there would be anyone that would stoop as low as to hurt those seeking comfort in a time of need, by writing to their trusted friends. What's even stranger is to think someone would have a problem with a member discussing mental health on the MENTAL HEALTH FORUM!!! That's why you can quote me - "It's feel's good, I'll keep coming back for more!"

And Chatty, you ask why I tell people I'm bipolar? It's because I'm not ashamed to be me. God loves me as I am. I don't have to hide the fact out of fear of judgement. With this voice I have many times reached out and helped others who are relieved to be comforted by someone who understands their pain because I've been in their shoes. If I can do for others what a select group of women on this forum have done for me, there is no question that my life will be greatly enriched.

Was Patty Duke ashamed to speak about her condition? Or Jane Pauly? Many have come out publicly and shared their life story to fight ignorance and help others who have the same illness. We no longer have to hide in a closet because of fear that society will attack us.

What's the big deal with being bipolar anyway? We're in good company. Take for example: Michelangelo, Beethoven, Lord Byron, Hans Christian Anderson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Florence Nightingale, Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf, Cole Porter, Francis Scott, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Bing Cosby, Tennessee Williams, to name a few. No shame in being in their company.

[ February 26, 2006, 02:51 PM: Message edited by: suzieq ]