How can I help my brother understand my bipolar disorder?

Question

My brother thinks I'm "faking bipolar". How can I make him understand and accept me? He's bipolar too, just not diagnosed yet (he drinks a lot to cover it up). He wants me to stop all my meds. He says I don't need anything. I've been diagnosed since 1993. You would think he'd understand by now, but he doesn't. Any suggestions? He won't read any of the literature I give him.

Answer 1

I'm not trying to sound mean, but it seems as though your brother may be in a state of denial, and therefore doesn't want to face reality for himself or anyone else by medicating with alcohol and numbing his feelings about life and the world around him. Hope this helps you understand where he is in his life, and that no matter what you do to communicate with him about your problems, he'll just shut you out until he faces reality.

Answer 2

Your brother is trying to convince you that you are well and should stop taking meds so that he can keep believing that he himself is well. He sees himself acting like you do, but doesn't want to admit that he is sick, so therefore YOU can't be sick.

You won't be able to convince him otherwise until he faces his own demons. It's not about him understanding and accepting you, but about him accepting that he's bipolar, too. He won't read any of the literature because he doesn't want to see himself in there.

I can only suggest that you keep being there for him if he wants to talk, but definitely don't give in to any pressure to go off the meds.

Answer 3

Vinny the hack, you are an asshole. I have said on many occasions that I would not wish my bipolar disorder on my worst enemy, but in your case, I might just make an exception.

There is a lot of good advice here, but mostly the brother is in denial and self medicating. Plough your own furrow: keep taking your meds and live a normal life.

Come over to http://z9.invisionfree.com/Bipolar_Haven for a bit of moral support if you like

Answer 4

Not only are you not bi-polar, neither is your brother. There's no such thing. It is a condition made up by the pharamceutical industry so that they can legally sell drugs that do nothing. If you took sugar pills without knowing it, you'd feel the same as you do now. If you listen to doctors and drug companies, they'd have everybody believing that we should all be on a dozen different medications. Your parent and their parents did well without any expensive drugs. You can, too.

Your brother's alcohol consumption is not due to trying to escape his demons. It's to have fun! Maybe if you tried to have some fun like everybody else, you wouldn't feel the need to label yourself as having a disorder.

Suck it up and deal with whatever life throws at you...just like everyone else. You'll feel proud of your accomplishments instead of wallowing in your misery as a poor soul who was unfairly stricken with a horrible affliction. You are perfectly normal.

My, my, R.B.. If there were such a thing as bi-polar, your behaviour toward me certainly makes you suspect of having it. But since it doesn't, you have no excuse. You are are being a bigger asshole than you claim I am. You are in denial. You will use any excuse for your erratic behaviour (such as name calling and wishing a disease on someone, when in reality, you are just what I said: an asshole, plain and simple--no fancy label needed. I'm not hiding behind a malady. I call you names with the pride of exposing a charlatan going about giving advice that may destroy people's lives. Posion yourself for the rest of your life if you want, but stop trying to recruit others to your sick club.

Answer 5

As much as you love your brother, you'll convince him more by just caring about him. If he hasn't "come around" to your understanind by now, there is no magic-potion words that are going to convince him.

"People don't care what you know till they know that you care."

Answer 6

tell him if you stop you might get angry and beat hin up.