The following are excerpts from letters we have recently received.  We thought our readers may find them helpful.

I am bipolar and, like many of us, alone.   My illness has helped destroy my bonds with others.  I certainly have made some bad choices; I was afraid to end up alone.  I invested a lot in some really big mistakes- not a very good idea for someone with bipolar.  However, too many times, I also have heard fear in the voice a of boyfriend.  "What if you relapse and I cannot do anything to help?"  As if they, somehow, could influence my "good health."  I can't even do that; that is why I need medication in the first place!

I do not really date anymore.  I have learned to be OK about being alone.  I continue to try to learn to like myself.  I have learned to love my work and my apartment and my few friends.  I try to keep a good sense of direction.  It is not always easy. I have lost much of my life to this illness - my marriage, my kids, a job I loved.  I just know it is better than being in a convenient relationship which really costs too much.
SW in NM

Sometimes, I would read stories about people who had recovered from depression and would think, "that will never be me."   I could not imagine being capable of that.  I have been depressed since I was a child.  I do not think I knew what not being depressed was like.  I have been terribly depressed and just depressed.

Well, I started taking medication a few months ago.  I felt a little relief, and many side effects, almost immediately.  I rode out the dry mouth and other various fun things.  After awhile, I started to do some strange things.  I smiled.  I missed an old friend and actually called her.  I cannot describe it.

It has not been easy.  My life is a mess.  I see a therapist and need lots of help from my family.  I am lucky they have not given up on me as a lost cause.  Treating this illness is expensive. It is stressful too.  Some days, I am not sure I can do it.  Today, and now most other days, I can say it is worth it.  It is amazing to me that some people feel this way most of the time.  I never thought I would ever be able to write a letter that sounded like those stories I would read, but here it is.  I hope other people find it helpful.
JJ in CA

We are always in need of encouraging stories to share with others.
Send to:
NAFDI - RS
P.O. Box 2257
New York, NY 10116 USA