What's great? Having someone stick with me so long, thru all the s**t I've been thru? Well, it helps that he lives on the other side of the world. But he does have a very big heart for he has been thru many terrible times of his own and he has a brother with severe BPD who he loves deeply. Yeah, he has a big heart. I am very blessed that he took me under his wing.

Far far far from it, Bizi. Yes, I'm better off than homeless people and dying people, but the things I am grateful for are things like
A roof over my head and walls and windows that keep out most of the weather
A heater and hot water in the winter
A refrigerator and a stove
A way to get the few blocks to the store and the local clinic

I have been homeless before because of my illness. Several times. You learn to appreciate such things when you are homeless.

Yes, I'm doing so much better on meds than not on meds, I'm very grateful for that, but when I talk "Life Skills", I'm talking keeping my dishes washed and the kitchen clean, personal hygiene, getting out of the apartment (actually eye to eye with another human being) more than once a month. I have a long long way to go, but meds and support are the only way I'll ever get there. I doubt I will ever get cranky about having bipolar because what is, is. My reasons to be grateful will always outweigh the desperation of homelessness. Everything else is very small next to that.

There are a lot of bipolars living on the streets and living behind bars here in glorious wonderful America ever since the early 70's when ignorant self-rightous and self-virtuous "personal freedom" fighters decided to protect my freedom by making it much more difficult for me to get the psychiatric help that used to be our right as citizens in the richest and most advanced nation in the world .. If my daughter did not have a father paying her rent, she would be in jail more often than she is out because the psychiatric care system in this country really doesn't exist.

but thanks for the hugs.
Teri

if I had the ability to cry, I would have cried while reading your post...I have a deep seated fear about homelessness and I was working in the mental health field when they decided to open the doors to mental patients but failed to provide them with backup....boy did those crusaders fail.
my life skills are pitiful now....it really is difficult to admit how devastating bipolar is...
Bobby

Dear Teri,
It seems that my post to you upset you....
I am sorry I certainly did not mean to upset you.
This last paragraph is why I responded the way I did.

you said that you are experiencing a vacation away from bipolar since you got on meds...that is great!

you said that you were learning things that you never knew before...wonderful that you well enough to be learning them now!

I am so glad that you have this friend for so long now...I have my best friend with her 2 month old baby girl who is leaving me and moving away...I am very sad about this....

It's great that you have been posting again and that you are expressing yourself...and it sounds like you are making plans to go back to school...and this is why I thought you sounded healthy.

I am sorry if my post somehow was wrong....
bizi

Thank you for the warm welcome. I will stick around and learn
more and do what I can to help. Sometimes it helps just to
listen and try to be a good ear to hear.

Donna