The people who love you anyway...

Let's hear it for the people who love you anyway!

They don't care if you're bipolar. They just value your common sense. They're the ones who ask you to write recommendations for them. The ones who put your name down first on an invitation list. The ones who invite you to their children's baptisms.

I'm so grateful for these people who see beyond my illness. I have friends that don't think of me as bipolar.

If you don't have friends, get some. Find someone who intrigues you, who delights you. Get your confidence up and call them. Ask them to go to a play at a local theater. Better yet, take a shower, take your meds, put on some cologne and have a party.

Wait until you know someone well to drop the bomb on them. If they abandon you, so be it. Look for another friend.

I used to ask people, "Can I be your friend?" I don't see anything wrong with this approach.

Read their response. If they hem and haw...if they say, "I have enough friends; I don't need any more," just move on.

Sometimes, people are in the right mood. They're looking to take on new friends. Sometimes they're not.

We've all been distanced by people, and we've all distanced people. You've got to look for that perfect person who will just eat you up.

Try going to a bipolar support group. There, you'll find people like you. There you can probably find friends.

Good luck.

I couldn't do this w/o friends. I wish you friends, friend...