Should the mentally ill date each other? (16)

9 Name: Secret Admirer : 2008-05-02 22:56 ID:l1Pg+sjD

Hello, female bipolar here. I'd like to share a story as food for thought: when I was younger and still did not know I was bipolar, I had four very close friends. I'm not the most social person out there, so when I make friends, I make it a point to make good, close friends that I'll want to keep. However, during a particularly severe depression, I decided I was not worth such wonderful friends, called them up, and said what boils down to: "I don't want to be friends anymore".

They were all hurt. One left, the second decided that at least we'll be civil with each other, the third stubbornly refused to let go (although she soon got busy with her own life), and the fourth, the closest, was absolutely broken-hearted. Forward about five or six years, I get the chance to speak to that last friend and explain to her that I'm bipolar. She accepts it now and treats me normally, and we're back to being good friends.

A few years ago, I fell in love with a (sane) young man, a few years my senior. He genuinely cared for me but after around a year got sick of my constast mood swings (and at that time we thought it was plain ol' depression, so the cycle was: yay, cured! no, wait, not cured...) and, well, we're no longer together.

I don't want to love again. I'm afraid to make new close friends, but that's okay because I've learned to open up a little and make acquaintances. The thing is, right now there's a guy that I'm genuinely interested in, and I don't know what to do. I don't think he can tell that I like him, so I can just casually ask about mental disorders to gauge his response, but I'm still scared.

Like OP said, should you inform someone beforehand that you're bipolar or have a mental condition? I suppose it depends on the situation, but I would also like to know.

Forgive the drawn-out storytelling! =)

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