A Risk for Family

The discussion between people who suffer mental illness mostly ends with an agreement about family life: we just want to be given permission to be who we are.
There is no element of choice here. We don't ask for this mental illness. We just find out we have it...it hits us like a truck, blindsides our brains, confuses our loved ones naturally, and freaks us out too! We may go to the Shrink, get thrown a bunch of medications, and not even be told a diagnosis or explanation of what we are about to go through for the rest of our lives. How many of us do know enough about our condition that we can help family get it?
Like I said, it's a conundrum. I want my family to be there for me and understand my life, but I also need to understand my own self and my own condition better so that I can help them. Solution? Each person has to put in work.
The only way we're going to reach an understanding is to put our family emotions aside, and step up to the educational plate. Even if you're not connecting with them right now, encourage your family to read, go to a meeting, or do some research. Do plenty of this yourself. Or simply be open enough to let them read your blog. If you take the risk first, you might be surprised that they'll be willing to risk something for you and your recovery in the future. Or, like me, you can look in the past and see that they really already have. Either way, it's one step closer to your family loving the person you are.