I Hate the Mentally Ill - My Ex was Bipolar and She was Evil

I happened on this site when i googled mental or evil? IDK which my partner of 5 years is anymore. He says he is ill but he acts like a psycho. he is on meds for depression/bipolar but it is easy for anti socials to be misdiagnosed with bipolar and as the meds seem to make him worse while he continues to drink and do weed on top of his anti-psychotics and anti-D's. He shouts, swears at me, smashes things, threatens me, hits me and i do not deserve this. i was married for ten years and my husband never acted like this. we grew apart and split on good terms. my current partner is like a seething mass of rage and hate and he directs it all at full force towards me. How do i help him? how do stay safe?? I think that the real problem is his sh*tty, selfish attitude and a lack of anger management skills. He has, i feel, conned me into staying with him saying he is ill and how i should look after him when all i see is agression and hateful and violent behaviour towards me, my daughter and the dog. i look after him best i can but nothing i do is enough or deserves a thank you. it is taking it's toll on me that i am treated to nothing but hate, hate and more hate from him when i have done NOTHING to deserve it. i can't afford to leave (he spent my savings before becoming a full blown monster) and he stops me from being able to see anyone and work. The police told me to keep my phone on my person at all times and consider me high risk. He is nice to everyone outside the house, the gym, work, social engagements (hahaha i wish i had energy to work out and keep fit like i used to but i'm now too ill from constant stress and abuse from this "ill" person hahahha) but at home he is a MONSTER. A street angel and home devil as my mum puts it. i wake up with my stomach in painful knots every morning and i cry and pray for an easy day but he never cares...sometimes he is evil to me before i open my eyes and lift my head from my usually tear stained pillow. i NOW do not believe he is ill...his doctors do but i don't. i believe he is SICK yes but not with anything curable or manageable. i believe he is just selfish and evil. He lies constantly and blames me for his illness and all his problems...never blames his nasty dad who abandoned the family when he was little oh no of course EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT. he uses words to hurt me, actions to hurt me and he makes me feel sometimes that i would be better off dead. Because of this maybe i unfairly hate mental people but it is hard not to when they verbally, emotionally, physically and financially abuse me. Before i met him i was a mental health worker in a hostel for men with drug, alcohol and mental problems...i almost had my head split open by a resident who threw a sauce bottle at me FOR NO REASON other than a laugh. i left soon after. i reckon more people are made ill by so called bipolar people than are actually ill with it themselves. i have been made to feel very ill but i refuse to take happy pills as they fry your brain and how is a pill going to stop him abusing me anyway?...he is the problem...not me. I have tried being patient to the point of bending backwards to no avail...his own mother is nervous around him...my daughter hates him, the dog shakes...I SHAKE...if this is how a "mentally ill" person thinks it is ok to treat people then yeah ...i hate them. I FUCKING HATE THEM. How can you nurse or take care of someone who makes you fear for your life every day? How does one help these awful buggers?? i would love to know because it is going to be a while before i can escape this evil ape. My sympathy for him is all used up...my sympathy lies with me these days and if it did't i would be dead now. Genuinely ill people are grateful for sympathy and support. my fella if indeed he is ill behaves like a rabid dog that needs putting down before he kills me. if this is how all bipolar people behave then FUCK 'EM...evil the lot of 'em. Me and my family deserve better.

@fifi. I believe you are right - your partner does not sound like he is depressed or bipolar. If he is depressed, he simply wouldn't have the energy to even deal with you. If, indeed, the pdocs are correct and he might be suffering from bipolar, the only thing I can think of is perhaps the anti-Ds he is on is worsening his condition. Anti-Ds can be really bad without a stabilizer, and even worse if you throw alcohol into the mix. However, once he is stabilized, his anger issues will be managable.
How will you know if he is ill or just evil? Are the behaviors you are describing his "normal" baseline, or are they different from how he usually is? I am not a pdoc, but if what you are describing is his normal, I would venture to guess his diagnosis is incorrect. The fact that he is isolating you and preventing you from working is such a classic profile for someone who commits domestic violence - and this is an entirely different thing all together. The vast majority of people with mental health problems DO NOT abuse other people. If the abuse is random and unpredictable, and/or involves strangers as well as people they know (eg in public and in the workplace), then mental illness may be a possibility. But you mentioned his anger is more directed towards you, and it appears to be worsening so it might be safe to say it is something else entirely.
Regardless, you have a child, dog and yourself to think about. Your child should definitely not be subject to any abusive behavior, and should be protected from him. Dogs are generally vulnerable as well, and deserving of a better life, and YOU deserve something way better, despite his mental health status.
I would suggest checking out a domestic violence website or calling a DV hotline as it might be more helpful in your case.
Such a tough situation and my heart goes out to you.

I feel so bad for you. You must get out of this situation, you, your daughter and your dog do not deserve this. Why are you staying? He is not going to get better and may end up hurting you more or worse. You are not helping him, maybe he will get help if you leave. Life will be better for you when you leave, it surely can get worse. Maybe a safe house is the first move so you can get some counselling and help for you and your daughter. There are places that foster animals for the short-term if you need it. Good luck and God bless you.

There's a song by some group (Plain White Tees?) that goes, "hate is a strong word. But I really, really, REALLY don't like you!" Now, i am keenly aware of the widespread hate and fear of the insane or otherwise dysfunctional in society. I am bipolar and have become a recluse out of shame because i cannot cope with what people might say or think of me if they found out. My hope is to find some way of working from home i.e. selling items on ebay or etsy, so that i don't have to get up and go out in public and face the threat of slings and arrows from an employer or coworkers. If someone ever found out i was mad or insane, the minute they did, i'm sure the rush of photographs would flash through their mind in association with "those like me." Adam Lanza, James Holmes, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Jared Loughner -- and you know, i often put myself in their position and think that maybe i would react the same way, thinking wow, what if such-and-such person shoots up the place?
I've even stopped referring to "myself" as "someone who has" manic depressive disorder and started calling myself "something that is" broken or diseased. I know in my heart that i would never harm another person, and when i do get angry, it's usually in defense of someone ELSE who is being royally screwed by "the system" or even another person who's causing THEM pain or bother. Rarely if ever do I stand up for "myself" because I've already given up on referring to "my-self" and using "person first language" that i don't feel i deserve. (As you can see, i don't even capitalize the pronoun because one wouldn't capitalize the name of a thing. The only time i do is at the beginning of a sentence.) I lament the fact that there are no bell towers anymore where i can hide and claim "sanctuary" like the outcast hunchback of Hugo's famous novel. I'm a leper and i know it. In many ways the illness itself is not as bad as the way people would react to it. And for that reason i know very well that it's up to me to stay out of everyone's way.

I went out with a bipolar girl for 5 years. She was a great person and a sweet soul, but at times can explode for the silliest things ever. We made it for 5 years, but I never knew she had bipolar until our 4 1/2 year when she told me she was going off meds... I laughed and said... As long you don't kill me we will be ok... Boy did she kill me, mentally and physically. 3 months down the line, something triggered her manic phase... She was strange, weird, dressed differently, talked differently was emotionless towards me... She was gone, like I was nothing for 5 years, yet, we didn't have a fight in over 1 1/2 years, were best friends, companions and lovers... From what I know, she went with other guys right away, left her parents house, moved in some guys house, got into 2 car accidents, went clubbing, bars, sex, drugs, alcohol, these are things she would normally never want to do. The girl I knew for 5 years was seriously dead mentally. She texts me till this day with I love you's and miss you's. But, I know in the end, she's just not stable, and that's what people don't understand, they are sick, their brain is not right when they are manic.
It's almost like being high x10, or drunk x100 without the side effects. I say to people educate yourselves before judging. Unfortunately the ones hurting are the ones that look for answers and they sick ones usually don't care. The internet is a great place to learn, we did not have in back in the day, so it was easy to call people crazy and trow them in a cell.
One year later, I'm still in point A... So my suggestion for people is to love them, and move on, and realize they are the sick ones and will suffer their whole lives. I believe I'm one of the most understanding people in the world, I forgive her, but I'll never forget what she as done. In the end, she gave up on me, on her and on us by going off meds and therapy.
I've cried enough, I've suffered enough, I'm am free but she will always suffer in the end, so I forgive her. God Bless to all. Mental Illness is nasty and not only destroys you... But everyone around you, that's why it's also the number 1 cause of suicide. That said... If they don't take care of themselves, then it's their problem in the end and you need to move on.

Some ugly stories are coming out here of terribly bad behaviour, and they're all one sided. The people writing them must have been complete angels, mustn't they?
If it were me in that position, I would at least try to inform myself of the facts. From reliable sources. Nobody who has posted some bipolar horror story here really knows how it feels, what it's like, to have bipolar.
Bipolar disorder is something people can't help.
Your attitude is something you can change.
Thank God for my wonderful husband. It's not easy for him, having a bipolar wife, but he loves me, so he learns to love the bipolar disorder.

@john. I don't believe you do have complete understanding of the situation. You say you've known this person for five years, yet you're still holding her in that manic place - by using phrases like "mentally dead", "emotionless", "I know in the end, she’s just not stable", "what people don’t understand, they are sick, their brain is not right when they are manic". These are not phrases you use if you have a good understanding. There is no compassion here at all and actually has a hint of rage in it.
I also have a problem with this: "...Unfortunately the ones hurting are the ones that look for answers and the sick ones usually don’t care" umm, how the hell do you know how people feel? The sick ones may not even realize that they are symptomatic. In the end, EVERYONE that I have talked to are very pained by the illness, are deeply remorseful, and suffer greatly.
You must have put a significant amount of expectation in this relationship. So much so that when the tough got really tough, your relationship just couldn't hold up, but fell apart instead. You have the right to be hurt and angry, but it isn't cool to frame an illness within said hurt/anger, and to use negative terms cloaked in an air of understanding to talk about it.

Sarah... And I still love my ex. It's really hurtful though but I know that's she's just not ok right now.

judy...
I understand all about it. I've read hundreds upon hundreds on people stories. People with bipolar and the family or the spouses...
I have no rage, it's very hard though and I kept my story very short. We had a great relationship overall, problems there and there but overall it was a solid relationship. She went off meds 4 1/2 into our relationship and was very worried how she might change and what can happen to "Us" in the end. And, she did change like a light switch.
She still loves me and contacts me every few days. But, I also know that she's not stable and doesn't make sense right now. Maybe one day...
I do pray for her everyday, I waited, and was understanding more then anyone. Sorry if I offended you, maybe I did not use the right wording, but that's how I expressed them.
Good Luck.

John,
I don't know what happened in your relationship and I'm in no way judging you on whatever choice you make in regards to it. Of course if she refuses to go back on her meds, you have the right to do what you feel is best. That is your business.
I did take offense in the words you used because they are not accurate descriptions of bipolar, leading to more misconceptions from the public, and they are essentially hurtful at their core. However, it appears it wasn't intentional. I appreciate the apology and clarification. I am also sorry to hear of the hardship between the two of you.
However, it is hard for relatives/loved ones to understand the illness because of a number of things: the emotions the situation conjures up, and the inability to separate philosophical/religious/generally accepted beliefs from the illness itself.
Here's a good article about stigma and family, which does a decent job in explaining why this occurs. Not saying that you're stigmatizing your ex - just including it because I do think it sometimes happens unintentionally.
http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx/846/stigma-in-your-own-backyard
I understand that lots of destructive things happen because of the disorder - and certainly there is no denying that some of her behaviors were hurtful - but what Sarah and myself want to point out is that it isn't one-sided in how the situation escalates, and the eventual outcome. How you deal with it and what you say, and the intention behind the words also affects the outcome.
Good luck to you both as well.

Hey there! I'm not a whiny childish selfish monster! If anyone your a monster for saying such a mean thing. Bipolar people can't help the way they r if just happens, sometimes I get mad but it doesn't make me a monster why all act mad or whiny or even childish sometimes so shut your mouth up about it bipolar r no different that u! /:(

Hey-!
Read the article carefully silly. She is not calling people whiny childish monsters - she is actually defending against people who might say that.

"There is generally one reason why people hate those with a mental illness: they have had bad experiences with them in the past"
I have seen non-MI people treat others badly - and most of the time, it isn't due to a mental illness. It usually is because one person didn't like the way someone looked, didn't like what they believed in, petty politics, boredom and sometimes they haven't even a clue.
In short, hate is everywhere, and there are some people who are so inclined to be this way for no good reason at all (see above).

I met my bi polar partner and thought I was the luckiest women in the world.He was kind gentle,loving,supportive.I thought Id hit the jackpot.I knew he was bi polar,researched the subject.I might add I never read forums relating to being in a realationship with a person with bi polar.I never held negative feelings about someone battling a mental illness.I had empathy and compassion.5 years later I hate bi polar.It totally infuriates me when people describe it as bouts of depression,and highs.Sounds so simple right? THINK again.This man went from the love of my life to evil.And the FACT he can be that loving person to the outside and instantly switch on his evil side once his foot comes threw our door.Leaves me the question HOW can a person with bi polar control themselves to the relevant family friends workmates,but save that rabid rage for myself and the kids.For a long time I excused it during times of mania and downs.Poor him.....No poor us we were the victims,of abuse,verbal tirades,cowering in the bedroom intimidated by this 6ft plus man who claimed to love us.And you ask why people give the mentally ill a bad rap.Because of there behaviour.It affected at least 15 people directly in our family including his with such violence.ONE human being can claim the right to destroy many peoples lives for what reason we did all that was suggested.Regular drs appts,family support love,empathy,med checks etc etc.What this man did to us all makes me feel hatred.When I hear bi polar I run as fast as I can.They are always the victims...not us the familys,the kids,hell even the pet dog didnt get off.Am I a terrible person for feeling this way.NO because he dosnt have any guilt,only when hes using it to manipulate.This is my experience of bi polar and you wonder why they get a bad rap....Ive left and now have to heal the damage for myself and my kids.He will move onto wife #3 and so begins another cycle of poor me while he destroys another family.Its twisted.

Hi Natasha,
Look I'm sorry your marriage went bad. My interpretation is that you both weren't ready for marriage.
If you are going to move past this and develop a positive parenting relationship, you (each) will have to take some responsibility instead of blaming it all on the bipolar. Admitting your own responsibility is the only way you will learn and be able to move on and improve your situation.

@natasha. You don't mention medication anywhere. It sounds like he is experiencing an episode and he needs some sort of intervention. It affects you and your children the most because he is around you the most.
Whether you want to invest further time and energy is up to you. It sounds like trust is destroyed, and a build-up of resentment has resulted. That is tough as receptivity breaks down and stops any sort of effective communication. So, it is totally understandable if you decide to walk away.
However, you need to have a balance of perspective. He is that same kind man you mentioned, but untreated, BP will obscure it. Also, people have a tendency to define a person based in parts of them and not as a whole. I am not saying this to encourage you to stay - that is not my place - but so you can have some peace.
Bipolar can be immense suffering if left untreated.

How dare you hate someone because they are mentally ill bi-polar manic depressive if she was selfish, mean that was her personality. If she was grandiose
manic periods of extreme energy and periods of extreme depression. She was not like that to hurt you that was because she had no choice about being manic-depressive she got an illness like diabetes. If she had some diabetes or cancer or socially acceptable disease would you still hate her. You hate her you hate me I have schizo-affective disorder schizoaffective disorder you say all people who have manic depression are selfish, mean,
hate filled what else I am a bad person. Well, I wrote to soldiers overseas in the miltary bought them cookies sent them packages, visited sick people have done volunteer work, worked hard for what little education I have, prayed for a lot of others hurt no one. I have seizures am poor, I have periods of extreme energy then extereme depression, racing thoughts. I am not perfect but I have people I love and pray for I have never been to prison I do not hurt anyone how can you be so cruel and say you hate me I hate being mentally ill I have to take medication to keep from dying of seizures I have been mebntally ill since I was 21. The w part is people like you you do not have to ask the
government's permission to get married because you have to live off of Social Security Disability because of some dumb law., It is ignorant, stupid, hatefilled, people like you who make my life as lousy as possible you don;t even know me! I sure do not wish to know you! I hope someday you become a manic-depressive!

ok fair enough but, i was not diagnosed with bipolar but with autism and i meet half way with people, and i will say that we have to be fair to the neutrotypicals and meet half way i know many people with bipolar and when they feel wronged they want revenge so will the neurotypicals you dont get to be put on a throne because your bipolar and also a symptom of the bipolar is to blame others and not take responsibility, although just wait for the new theory it is rouge right now but when it goes mainstream........bipolar now will be psychopaths later, more and more researchers are finding a link between bipolar and psychopathy, and they have very very similar symptoms another connection most psychopaths are abused as kids 90% of people with bipolar have been abused (mental and or physical as kids). alot of post ive seen on here also support this claim or if it matter from personal exp every bipolar person i know was abused as a kid and now they are manipulative, impulsive, violent psychos and one of them tried to kill someones kid because they were too loud...............

My cousin is bipolar 2 but isn't as bad as the ones i live with. One roommate also a 2 and she's nasty. Nice to your face then will do everything to destroy your image and control you. The other one is manic depressive. After living with her I will say i'm never going to be near a bipolar who isn't family ever again. She's told my friends nasty things about me and no they refuse to come over cause they don't want to be around her. I haven't said much cause i just blow it over as her condition and try to be understanding. I worked with her and she tried to get everyone in trouble or fired. She's done so many nasty things and said horrible things about me to other people when i'm trying to sleep. It may sound awful but like another guy who worked with her said. She's a nasty two timing, backstabbing person and its best to turn and run. IN my opinion she uses her bipolar as an excuse. I'm quite sure that she is worse or has more than just bipolar. she takes to much pleasure in hurting people and wont feel sorry till they've let her have it.

Ms. Tracy,
Thank you.

Hi, evil is a strong word & should not be used lightly. However, I had a bipolar fiance who in the 5 year of our relationship, kept getting more & more unreliable, unpredictable, and very immature. Couldn't keep any simple promises. Often lied, very manipulative, will go out of his way to manipulate others, in overall he was a very selfish man.
One day he non-stop said the most cruelest things to me which made me cry out in pain for over an hour or two but the more I cried, the more vicious he became. I couldn't make any sense of this behavior at all. He later on explained that his grand mother was bipoar & that he may be too & that may be the reason for his unexplained, confusing, & strange behavior. After that I started researching the illness & read a few books. He had all the symptoms. When I told him that I read about the illness & that I think he really is bipolar & that he should speak to his psychiatrist about it (i said this very gently), he flipped out & said that he's not crazy & that I am the one who is crazy! Keep in mind that he was already seeing a psychiatrist for depression. A few years ago he saw a psychiatrist for OCD. He also has anxiety & is extremely paranoid about certain things. After this incident, he broke up with me lol (he probably did me a favor). I haven't tried to contact him ever since that day. I blocked him on FB & linkedin. I feel sorry for him though. He had it all & by that I don't mean me. He did have me & I was very dedicated to him, he also has a good job, a rich family, no stress, no responsibility, yet he is the most negative, depressive person I know (he wasn't like this the 1st year of our relationship. He is only 30 & he already lost a lot of hair & the remaining hair is turning grey. This is due to the anxiety & paranoia & lack of proper sleep. So yes, I feel sorry for him. Unless he gets help, he won't change. Apparently it gets worse without treatment. I'm not gonna try to help him anymore cause I'll lose my own sanity along the process. Thanks to God, I have many blessings in life I will appreciate those aspects & delete the past 5 years of my life. Dating someone normal is so much easier. It takes too much effort to deal with not all but certain bipolar individuals.

I'm feeling everybody on this one. I have a godfather who has bi-polar and ever since I moved with him, things got worse and worse by the month. I'm not sure how I should start this with, but here it goes. I ain't gonna outright say that he's bad cause he did alot of good things, very important things for me in the past, but now.....I don't know what to think of him. On one side, he's nice, very concerned, supportive, and loveable....on the OTHER side, there's only word that can summarize this part of him: EVIL. He don't respect boundaries, he conplains all the time about the bills, he be rambling on about nonsense while I'm eating, on watching tv, demanding if I understand him or not and when I ask him "what are trying to get at?" he get all upset and such. He's like this 42-year old bully, he say all sorts of bad things to me, changes the rules of the house, mimics things that I say, always thinks he's right all the time, calls me by my middle name or some other name instead of my first name, he barges in my room, startling me just to see what I'm doing, after I do one chore, he stacks another one at the last minute, he has a problem taking me anywhere, always complain about gas. Always telling me to loose the attitude, not aware that he got one too!!! I don't have one, whenever I tell him what he's doing wrong, he's always justifying everything he does!! And then he's gonna talk about me! One night he comes in the living room and sits with me to watch TV. he keeps rambling on about non sense and copying some things hes hearing on the television and talking about what they're saying while im trying to watch tv, demanding an answer from me. I ignore him. When it was clear that his message wasn't getting through, he turns off the tv and tells me to go to bed (I'm 21) and like asking em " why you did that!?" he like "cause you're wasting electricity and it's late" and I got on him BAD about it, demanding me to go upstairs I'm like "whats your problem!?" he refuse to tell me that's when I lost it. I demanded to know. I followed him in his room and he turned his tv and tossed me the remote. Turns out he did all of that on purpose just to get some attention. So you know....every one is right on the mark when defining the term: evil. Don't worry, I'm planing to get my own place soon so.. Are you wrong for the things that you say about these folks: absolutely not. The list can go on, but this just only a small piece of something I go through everyday while living with someone who has bi-polar, don't you agree?

Live with a hateful bipolar person and you will see what it is like. They ruin the lives of everyone around them. Your best bet is to stay clear of them. What is sad is the number of people in prison because of mentally ill people making false statements and lying. People think mental illness is a joke and it is not. Your best bet is to stay clear of anyone who has a mental illness. The sad part is those who have mental illnesses rarely acknowledge the harm they have causes to others. It is always someone else's fault or they use their illness as an excuse. Stay clear of bi-polar people and schizos. Your life will be much happier and safer.

This is just another "cockamamie" ego-boosting scheme by a bipole to try and make neurotypicals feel bad, which in turn makes her twisted brain somehow feel better. If she was genuine, she would be apologetic for herself and all of her bipole people for the horrible things they have made normal people undergo. Let me define "normal" here: a person trying to just live their life without hurting others and without being hurt. A bipole, however, has the capacity to believe that they are a king, god, or just plain more elite than any one else, especially those immediately around them, and will often carry out actions hurtful under this delusion. I have known two particular bipoles quite well, and spent a total of about fifteen years closely with these monsters. Now I have no contact with either and am much happier and healthier for it. What was scariest to me was how similar the two of them were, they even had the same crazed and terrifying looks in their eyes when in manic mode, and they both performed very similar hurtful behaviors and backhanded speech. The author of this article warns neurotypicals not to generalize all bipoles into one category, similar to how bigots generalize different races. This made me laugh harder than any of the other manic nonsense the author wrote. You are diagnosed, correct? So you must have a certain number of traits to obtain this diagnosis, correct? And people diagnosed as bipoles must share some, if not many, of these traits? Well, it's some if not many of these traits that are sickening and dangerous to neurotypicals, so don't try and tell neurotypicals that we shouldn't lump all of you bipoles into one sick and dangerous pile. Primarily, "unpredictability" is the most common shared trait amongst bipoles, and that's the scariest one. Bipoles are angry and sad, and to combat this they will find a friendly and naive neurotypical to attempt to control and manipulate, in order to balance out their own empty ego; bipoles are so lost getting high off their own brain chemicals that when they catch glimpses of the bleakness of their reality they become angry, while still high, and at this point they turn to the nearest neurotypical with verbal daggers at the safest. I believe all bipoles should be heavily medicated, and if they refuse this (often because of elitism) they should be institutionalized, for their safety and ours, because remember everyone: all non-commerce/military violent acts come from sociopaths, pyschopaths, schizophrenics, and bipoles. With science we can end pain. To the author: a bipole believes they are elite and others deserve to grovel at their feet. To this I say, "I will not accept your prejudice and I will not accept your hatred." Bipoles hurt themselves in their own minds, and want to take it out on others. Well, "Go find another place to play. Because I won’t let you unabashedly hurt others just because you have been hurt." Bipoles WILL hurt you. The bipoles I have known could hide their perverse thoughts for years, but trust me, it comes out. And it hurts a lot.

Having a child with a bipolar woman feels like a prison sentence. Knowing I have to deal with her for the rest of my life....

All of the characteristics that many have claimed are due to BiPolar, are just what many people are.
Dont blame it on the illness, it is just the person, with or without Bi Polar.

I have bipolar II. It's my diagnosis. It's not who I am. The reason why I was diagnosed is because my moods would go from really happy to really depressed for no reason. I don't take my moods and anger out on others because hurting anyone else appalls me. I stuff my emotions and hurt myself instead. That's how I react to my mental illness. Other people with bipolar have the same highs and lows. It's how they respond to these highs and lows that makes them mean and dangerous. I have known many people with no diagnosis of mental illness who are manipulative and elitist as well. These are things so-called "normal" people can be as well. People with a bipolar diagnosis sometimes have other mental illnesses along with the bipolar that effect their bipolar. Narcissism, Borderline personality disorder, psychopathology, cleptomanyism, schizo-effective disorder. These are just a few disorders that can be comorbid with bipolar. A lot of doctors, once a bipolar diagnosis is made will look no further and lump all these other disorders under the "bipolar umbrella." That's part of what contributes to the crazy,evil bipolar stereotype. Did it ever occur to anyone that these people are crazy and evil people who just happen to be bipolar? We all know Charles Manson is crazy and evil. Put a bipolar label on him and all of a sudden he is evil because he is bipolar? Bipolar is not what's evil. It's the person's response to their bipolar symptoms that's evil. This response often has to do with many other undiagnosed disorders this person has along with their bipolar disorder. Don't sentence tthe rest of us with bipolar to the same crimes just because everyone you know with bipolar is a violent egotistical ass hole. There are enough of them out there without conjuring up more just because of the bipolar diagnosis. By the way, do you apologize to black people for all the atrocities commited towards them by white people simply because you also identify yourself as white? For the same reason that you are not responsible for centuries of slavery, prejudice and violence committed by whites toward blacks, I take no responsibility for the actions of those cruel, conniving violent people who identify themselves as bipolar and who use that diagnosis as a blanket excuse to treat other people as horribly as they want to. No white person who beats a black person gets away with saying "I can't help it, I'm white." Neither should a bipolar's detestible actions be excused because of their diagnosis.

jon, sounds to me like you've got bigger issues than dealing with your wife for the rest of your life, one of them being your ignorance. You think it's hard to live with someone who has bipolar disorder? Try being bipolar and living with someone like you. It's jackasses like you that make us "crazy"

There are good normal people and there are bad normal people. Like there are good normal insane people and bad insane people. Only a stupid person or an evil malignant narcissist or sociopath would have the gumption to blame the mentally ill for all the problems of the world. Florence Nightingale was bipolar by the way. If you have problems with the mentally ill. You should look at how crap your mental health system is compared to the Netherlands. http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/08/societys-mismanagement-mentally-ill-disgrace.html.
The government in the Netherlands doesn't put homeless people in jail either. America is not as good as before.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/08/societys-mismanagement-mentally-ill-disgrace.html
Dear Zoe Merchant i feel sorry for you having to parent someone's child and think are trying to be a good person but no one can be perfect. But there are good normal people and bad normal people just as much as there are good insane people and bad insane people. It's a pity you said you studied psychology and workedin mental health becauise now it makes me glad that some psychology graduates are not getting jobs in mental health and are still looking for work in more appropiate areas even if they trained work in that area. It's just studying it doesn't mean they are equipped to work in the field in the short term or the long term, but dealing with a mentally ill relative is probably enough. People who manipulate and are jealous and shifty are not necessarily bipolar. They could be sociopaths or malignant narcisssists. It's a pity that because of your bad experience that you have to contaminate the lives of people with mental illnesses who are coping better and families that get along better with their mentally ill relatives so that other people start giving them a hard time and mistreating them. I hope you recover and you realise that your daughters's problem is not everyone's problem, and that your mental system is severely lacking of compared the one in the Netherlands. I know someone is censoring this because they prefer to censor some true statements they don't want to hear. Florence Nightingale was bipolar by the way.

You cannot compare people who are negative about bipolar sufferers with racists! That's an outrageous statement - racists hate because of physical/cultural difference but the majority of 'normals' (there is no such thing btw) are prejudiced about bp because, I'll bet, they have all had HORRENDOUS (and mostly totally indeserved) [moderated] experiences when they are trying to help and support these people. Let me let you all into a simple human truth/secret: no decent loving person can deal with (over a prolonged period) unpredictability, moodswings, hypersexuality, constant job loss, total financial irresponsibility, lack of routine, crappy personal hygiene, abuse of mind altering substances (legal or not), 1000 broken promises, lies, negativity, stupidity and most of all so much self-absorbed [moderated]. I lived with a bp guy for 10 years and I tried so [moderated] hard because, once upon a time, I loved him - His behaviour has wrecked my opinion of all men - You're loyal, supportive, keep yourself pretty, cook, great bjs everyday, listen to their [moderated], be an excellent mother, forget yourself ... for what? Natasha Tracey you can [moderated] off with your bp sensibilities - RUN to the hills you people - DO NOT entertain their asses - look after your children, yourself and spend time with those that inspire, not those that TAKE and DESTROY - Peace :)

Let me tell you, the negative comments posted here surrounding bipolar are absolutely TRUE. BE ADVISED, STEER CLEAR from these individuals at ALL COST. They will suck you into a vortex of mental abuse which will later turn into physical abuse in addition to the mental abuse, if you are too late to react.
I had the highest level of misfortune to date, in my life, coming across a bipolar individual (female), who then later became my friend (unfortunately). At the time, when I had first met her, and for a few months into knowing them, I was unaware they were bipolar (manic/depressive). She was very nice to me the first few months I knew her. She always said thank you for everything, and overall she was very kind to me. I am a male, and I feel like part of the nice attitude may have been due to the fact that this female had never really been treated correctly by their male counterparts in any relationship. I treated her nice and she appreciated it. I helped her kids, I helped her find a new place to live & got her out from a residence that she hated staying in. She told me she wound up telling her family how much she appreciated me and my help. She appeared to be grateful.
I was friends with this person at the time, and wanted to remain so, so nothing was advanced on beyond that point due to me not being comfortable with it. I had seen little bursts of anger at this point towards other people over frivolous things & frivolous generic situations, which was an automatic turn off for me, so I kept to myself. She kept pressuring me by making little comments that suggested I take her out, wife her up, marry her, etc... too strong & too much for me to hear in the first few months so I left it be. I was uncomfortable with her strong behavior & didn't pay mind to it.
She had told me she believed she was bipolar within a few months of knowing her, but I shrugged it off. I half believed it when she said she was bipolar, but didn't take it seriously. Only now do I WISH I HAD.
The first red flag to me came, when I was being positive & having fun with a friend of hers over the phone. I called my friend (bipolar one) "my sister" and started laughing to her friend on the phone. She (bipolar) later called me with a negative tone and said "I'm not your sister" then told me that I could block her number if I wanted to and be on my way if I felt like it. I found out this is when her ex had come back into her life, so I was then highly disposable. This was the first negative thing I had witnessed directed at me for zero reason. She turned a positive into a negative.
Once the ex came into her life, I stayed & continued to help both of them so that they could try to be happy together. They ran into issues and parted ways again. She then jumped back onto me again with the attachment, saying that she had to be with me, that I was a good guy, etc - again it was too strong for me & completely out of the blue, especially after the first time around I decided to take it nowhere. I ignored it and just remained friends.
We started going to places just for fun a few times in a two week period, and a week later she had gone on vacation. She contacted me out of the blue professing how much of a great guy I was and that she liked me, that I looked good, etc - all positive remarks. I started to go with it because it felt genuine at that point, as where before it felt fake and pushed. She returned from vacation and I couldn't even tell that she had a care in the world for me. I let it stagnate again and just kept it as friends because I was not feeling it. A few weeks later she asked to be intimate with me three separate times, but because of the odd behavior and previous situations I ignored it and left it be - I just wanted to remain friends.
We stayed friends and she brought the same ex back into her life yet again. Her & her ex ran into problems again so they parted ways.
By this time period, and slightly prior to, she had begun making some slightly negative remarks to me here and there. Not frequent, but very out of place & insensitive. Her daughter's birthday was approaching, so I help set it up. Upon the day of her daughter's birthday she had a slight temper because I was an hour or two late with food, while I was getting all of her daughter's birthday stuff at the same time & trying to work my own business. Later in the day I had picked her friend up that I paid for, to have her bussed into town. Once she arrived, I picked her up & got her food, with no drink. I dropped her off at the daughter's birthday party. I went to the store to get one last thing for the birthday & this is when I encountered the first fit of extreme rage.
I was told that I hated her friend for not buying a soda with the food (she made this up in her head). She told me that I only help her cause I'm trying to buy her, and that I'm a pervert trying to buy her. I was dumbfounded at this point & once I returned to the party to try and talk to her, she started screaming non-stop & then threatened to hit me. Another adult had to stop her from becoming violent.
Instead of being thanked for spending over $100 on her daughter's birthday, buying food for her friend, busing her friend into town for the birthday party, buying drinks for the daughter's birthday, and helping to set the birthday up, I was mentally abused (& almost physically) for not buying a soda for her friend, and forgetting 3 minor decorations at the store, that the store never even carried to begin with.
A few months passed, the ex tried returning, but she told him to go away. He started vandalizing the property & stalking her, so I moved her into a new property because her ex was dangerous & mentally ill to my observation. I did this to protect the lives of her, and her two daughters, due to the ex's capability of becoming extremely violent. She thanked me for this & was very happy.
I had lent her some money at this point in time & it was agreed to have been paid back by an SSI settlement, soon due. Christmas was approaching & she wanted to visit her family, so I sent her to her family via plane & I covered the cost. I asked her if she would help me with a paper agreement on the money owed & she went off the deep end, and exploded in a fit of rage again. She said I was trying to get her to sign paper because I was jealous that she wasn't with me (although I previously denied her 3+ times). She started becoming extremely derogatory & calling me every name under the sun. Originally I was schedule to fly with her, but I denied due to her behavior. She had apologized & said she still wanted to fly with me, but I didn't acknowledge any of it. THIS IS WHEN I SHOULD OF LEFT FOR GOOD.
Upon her returning, her behavior was changed in many ways. She was always derogatory towards me. She made negative comments to me all the time, over everything. She would turn positive situations into negative ones frequently. She started telling other people I was a pervert. She stopped trusting me completely. She used to let her kids ride with me to the store in the car, then she became extremely paranoid that I was a child molester, so she refused to let them go anywhere with me unsupervised or on the phone with her. I believe she began to make up negative stories about me to her kids, because one of her children started calling me "bad", but the kid still loved me & prior to then, loved me even more. I never harmed them, never would, and both the kids loved me to death.
The last and final instance where I cut this crazy lady off, is when I picked up her daughter from school. Her daughter was on the phone with the crazy lady (bipolar), and accidentally hung up. I picked the phone up when she called back, and without letting me speak she went into a full fledged furry of rage from hell......
I dropped the daughter off 5 minutes late & all hell broke lose from this lady. She threw a plate at my car, called me a pervert, insinuating I'm a child molester, threatened to call the police on me, threatened to hurt me. She then threatened my with other people, including her ex. Her friends started threatening me. A friend of her called me asking for money. She also threatened to call family members of mine to defame me.
She began filing false police reports on me. She filed some reports for harassment but they did not result in charges because the substance of my behavior did not constitute the allegations. She then began to manufacture threats on my behalf via fake text messages, in order to get charges drafted on me, and thus burden me with the court system & also by placing warrants on me. I was facing over a year in jail because of what this lady had claimed I had done....
I was also facing the possibility of 3 different people hurting me, which also involved a death threat from one of them.
Had I followed my first gut feeling, I never would of had to deal with this crazy person who has NO REGARD for other people. They drew up illogical assumptions in their head like nothing I have ever seen before & put me through hell because of their own mental instability.
She went from liking me, to telling me I could go away, to loving me, to not liking me & friends, to wanting to be with me, to hating me, to being friends, to going wild on me. This person was an absolute roller coaster, but she always had a way of placing all this blame on me. It was ALWAYS my fault, I was the bad guy, I did everything wrong, I was the negative one, so on & so on... the make belief stuff she made up in her head was endless & the anger that resulted from some of their perceived issues were just plain mind boggling.
This person stole from me, lied to me, talked behind my back to others, smiled in my face, said they appreciated me, but then blamed me for everything I had done, because to her everything I had done was for the wrong reasons, although I was simply helping a friend. Small acts of help & kindness always found a way of getting reversed onto me, which led to me being yelled at, being called names, and being threatened with physical violence. I even wrote an apology letter once after I back-talked her, to try and calm her down & that was met with the threat of calling police on me.
STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. They will take you down with their misery. I was so kind, helpful, and considerate towards this person & they tried their best to destroy me. I believe part of this was due to my rejection of them, but I will never know & don't want to know - I am glad I am removed from their life. All I know is that it's crazy to try & help crazy, like I did. My compassion & kindness was met with hatred & hostility due to the delusions of bipolar disorder.
This person was ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder towards the end of out friendship. This is when I came to make sense of everything that had previously occurred.
Her name is [moderated]
This message is based on a true account of an encounter with a bipolar. All information in this post is true & accurate. There are no intended recipients of this message. This message is simply a real life story that I have decided to publicly share to warn others of the dangers of dealing with a bipolar.

This is an eye opener. I myself have been closely involved with an undiagnosed sufferer for over 18 years -- am still married to the man who is the father of my 17 year-old son, although we have lived apart for 15 years now. I am his confidante, his "soul mate", his best friend. But our connection has nearly destroyed me --
In December 2014 he was diagnosed with a tumor in his eye, his eye was surgically removed six weeks later -- needless to say, this set him off. We were all involved in this crisis, he had nowhere else to go so he stayed with us before and after the operation. I was glad to be able to help, I truly felt with him, felt his pain in a way I have never before experienced the pain and suffering of another human being. We still don't know if the cancer has spread as he has not undergone all the tests.
Well, that's just some of the background. And I won't get into all that we've been through in the past 18 years. I have lived with his psychosis and I have shut the door many times, but I have also opened the door again and again and embraced him when he has been well, been there for him during hard times.
Now I realize that his illness has been eating me up. I know he doesn't mean to do it and it is impossible for me to "hate" but I have to finally end it. I realize it is making me ill. I realize I attracted him and he attracted me -- two magnets -- he has given me a wonderful son and has enriched my life in many ways. But his illness hurts me again and again. Again and again he is abusive to me, oversteps my boundaries, shows little or no respect, frightens me ... So now, after 18 years, it is time to say good-bye.
The stories posted here -- insightful stories of compassion as well as the stories of anger and hatred -- are very real for me. I have experienced both sides. I have experienced deep love and joy over nearly two decades with a man I met while on holiday in Australia (!) yet have also SUFFERED guilt, anxiety, sorrow, fear -- and it is time for me to live. My son's father has refused all intervention, has never been diagnosed, has never sought treatment for his mental illness (which is now compounded by the loss of his eye and the threat of cancer). He blames me for his illness, takes no responsibility for his actions, is narcissistic, egocentric and extremely unreliable. I am certainly far from perfect myself but it is time for me to stop revolving around this charismatic man.
I followed him from Australia to NZ in 1997, travelled halfway around the world before settling with him in Europe (where he's from). It's been a whirlwind tour, I have carved a new life for myself and my son in a foreign country, have "accompanied" my husband through fits of madness which have lasted for up to four months at a time (we're currently at four and a half). Writing this down now helps me to be clear about it -- I've done it for long enough now.
He is not evil. I believe he is a good person, a deeply spiritual person ... but confused. Somehow deeply confused and unable to cope. I will always care for him but it is time to start caring more about myself. Time to be happy ... and to let go.
Thank you for listening/reading.
Love and let go.

I woke up thinking about what I wrote late last night and thought "I'm in for comments from people who think I'm heartless for pulling back after 18 years".
I have to clarify: my son's father has never been diagnosed but suffers from serious mental illness -- he's more than bipolar, he suffers from psychoses, paranoia, has serious unrealistic fears that people are following him in helicopters, radiating his apartment (he refuses to stay there, he has filled the place with a "protective wall" of junk but still believes the neighbours are getting him with their laser guns), he even believes I want to poison him. He comes to me when he needs me but speaks ill of me behind my back.
I have been his best friend all these years but perhaps I have also prevented him from getting the help he needs. Now I have been told that he has been living with his illness for so long (he is 61, I am 48) that it would be difficult to treat him with medication, and you also can't "talk someone out of" their psychosis. The head of a clinic here told me this.
It is horrible to watch, also considering his medical condition and the loss of his eye (if only he had seen the eye doctor sooner ...). And I know that when he is stable again we will have contact because there are so many things I love about him -- he's a wonderful person in so many ways -- but I realize now that this has all been slowly eating me up over many, many years.
It took me two years to write a book about what I've been through, the story spans nearly two decades and covers three continents. It has been an incredible journey and I will always love this man, but I feel like I have been slowly losing my life and my energy, have devoted so much of my energy to him and his illness.
I have been with him now through the most difficult time of his life, and it has been the most difficult time of my life. And now I need to simply shut the door -- for just a while perhaps -- because I cannot take it when he comes and breaks into my house like a storm. I also suffer when I see him suffering, he knows how much I care and each time he manages to "get inside" of me. It is difficult because I am torn apart inside, I care about him and worry about where he might be sleeping (he has his own apartment, rented a holiday flat and chose to sleep outside -- and it's still cold where we are!).
I have to learn compassion for myself, not just for him.
It has helped to write this, thank you for this site!
By the way, all the local kids here call him Jesus. Like I wrote last night, he is far from evil, he is a good soul and it breaks my heart to see him suffer. I want my heart to be whole again, and that means taking a step back. Perhaps by doing so, I will be able to see things more clearly ...
I can still feel love for him and send him my best wishes, but I realize that for my own health, I will have to do that from a distance.

Nan,
Psychosis can be very scary for the individual experiencing it. You can not reason with or use logic on or love someone out of psychosis. You just can't. Psychosis is like a medical emergency. By not getting him help you are enabling him. By help I mean getting him committed to hospital. If he refuses to take medication when he gets out there isn't much you can do 'til he reaches that state again. Any good doctor would admit a psychotic person to hospital. Psychosis is treatablle. The symptoms can be managed
I would think having cancer and losing an eye would also be very scary for someone as well.
While I understand your need to take care of yourself, there is such a thing called compassion fatigue that many caregivers feel, maybe you just need a break.
Pardon my bluntness but you are not the seriously ill one here who is dying and cannot take care of themselves. A large number of people die of cancer and a large number of people also die of mental illness as well.
To turn a blind eye to someone in need is heartless. How would you feel if it happened to you...
If your son became ill would you abandon him too?
Who will be there for YOU when you die?

Sorry Nan
I didn't mean to sound so harsh. You sound like a loving caring individual who deserves some happiness. There needs to be some balance in any relationship in order for it to work. Relationships can be hard to build and maintain and unless both parties are willing to put the work into it to keep it alive, it withers and dies. Having a mental illness and caring for one with it can restrict someone's life so many ways...
When someone is abusive, oversteps boundaries or shows little or no respect that's totally understandable why you would want to back out of the relationship and it makes perfectly good sense to do so. If someone doesn't appreciate you then why would you put up with that
It bothers me though that most people with a mental illness are not considered on par with someone who has a physical illness. A person with a mental illness does not wish to be sick anymore than a person with a physical illness does. There is also a lot more stigma for people with a mental illness than there is for someone with a physical illness. Stigma is isolating and can deeply affects one's self esteem. Having a mental illness makes you vulnerable. Without the proper supports mental illness can be deadly

Frankly, Natasha, i'm surprised that you allow these ignorant, bigoted oafs to post their vitriolic spleen on your blog. They're the evil ones, trying to hurt people already suffering and in need of consolation. Maybe you need to screen posts more efficiently. All the sharks want is an audience.
I seldom read your blogs because of them.

Natasha, I echo Rachel's concerns and would like tlo know more about why you title your articles the way you do. Your titles, themselves, often appear hostile to whatever point you try to make in article itself. Moreover, they come across as quite sensationalist. Are you trying to conjure up negative and sometimes hateful attention to individuals diagnosed with bipolar? Because it would appear that that is both your motive and effect.

Being a black man I find this authors attempt to relate peoples anger at experiences they have had dealing with mentally ill partners to racism completely ridiculous. Racism in most people has no basis in any fact & is merely a set of dislikes based on someones physical appearance as identified through skin color or ethnic origin. Many people who are racist have never even met a black, an Asian or Jew, or a Muslim person, or had a negative experience with one.
I'm sorry but I could not disagree more with idea that people should be called on to support or show compassion toward the mentally ill partner, if those mentally persons refuse to seek help and end their abuse. I understand full well that some people (rare cases) who are afflicted with BP and BPD etc seek help, and should be supported in this endeavor. But when the actions of BP or the like involve abuse and pose a danger to your own welfare and potential safety, you have greater responsibility to yourself to leave the situation.
I have endured two relationships now with mentally disordered women, one thank god ended after 18 months with no children involved. But during it I had my nose broken when she decided to thrown a book at my face, the end came when she decided to jump on me in my sleep at 3 am in the morning & try to strangle me to death. All because she found out my 6 year old daughter from a previous relationship didn't feel comfortable to meet her, by hacking into my email account?
The second one I spent 9 years with, having the life completely drained from me, I ended up in a psych ward myself at the 7 years mark under the pressure of the constant psychological warfare she waged against me. I left this person 18 months ago and they still play games all the time with the access to my child, the legal system & constant attempts to exploit me for every cent she can get. To this day she has NEVER ACCEPTED even one ounce of the abuse, and instead went told everyone she could I abused her? She even went as far as to join codependents anonymous so she could live her carefully constructed fantasy of being the victim, while she walked away leaving me thousands of dollars of debt after assaulting me & destroying my property.
It is a never ending nightmare and I understand full well why people who have experienced life with an un-diagnosed mentally ill partner who refuses to get help, feel nothing but anger and hatred. And less you have endured the abuse, you have you have little room to offer up opinions from some kind of moralistic high ground.
This person has effectively abused me directly and by proxy for 10 years now & I utterly powerless to stop her. Try enduring this and see how much you feel compassion for them!!

To hell with bipolar people. They are all useless painful selfish people. I was married for 10 years to a bipolar woman. If you don't know anything about bipolar personally then don't talk about it. They are not people they are evil in everyway. They are nasty money spending lazy manipulative [moderated] that I hope nobody ever has to be associated with. Someone says that they are bipolar then get away from them immediately or you will be destroyed as well.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO ALL THE HATEFUL COMMENTERS
In the general public 50 percent or more of ALL marriages end in divorce. It is NEVER 100 percent the fault of just one person in any relationship ALL the time. Sometimes the things that people complain most about ARE THE VERY SAME THINGS THEY ARE GUILTY OF. Take a good HONEST look at yourself in the mirror and what do you see???

... approximately 5 percent of the general population at any given time is bipolar... how do you account for the rest of the 45 percent that is NOT...