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Friends to share the journey with

PuggleOneCasual Contributor

Friends to share the journey with

I'm looking for friends to connect with and share our experiences on this journey.

My wife developed bipolar, and went through a several month long period of mania and a couple of psychotic episodes. During that time, she believed I was trying to harm her. She fled and started a new life, including a romantic relationship. After she finally got on medication, she slowly realised the truth and returned to our home.

A lot of damage has been done by convincing some friends I was really an abuser, and now she feels the weight of those actions and how they tainted the friendships.

A lot of people out there dont understand what can happen during manic and delusional periods, so we're hoping to find some people on here with similar experiences, who would be willing to talk to us and possibly develop a friendship [edited by moderator]. Bipolar can be pretty isolating.

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In response to: Friends to share the journey with

Ru-beeModerator

Re: Friends to share the journey with

Hi @PuggleOne and welcome to the forums!

Good on you for taking the step and reaching out here. Thank you for sharing your story here and I know that there are others on here who have gone through similar experiences and I'm sure will be by soon to share of their own experiences and connect.

In response to: Re: Friends to share the journey with

MaceySenior Contributor

Re: Friends to share the journey with

Hi @PuggleOne and I love echidnas too! 🥰

My experience is abused by an undiagnosed person and God protect whoever comes next coz since them all my mental health turned to illness and recovery management for ptsd and anxiety ofcourse depression too. Adhd. These days I developed hopefully healthy obsession with pot plant gardening and lawn care so, do you have lawn? I'd love to learn about lawn care tips and share small victorees like that see?

Trusting after hurting is a mountain climb I think but if two of you both committing to try this -- I think this is admirable.

In response to: Re: Friends to share the journey with

PuggleOneCasual Contributor

Re: Friends to share the journey with

Thank you, @Macey, and yes we both love echidnas, they are so pokey!

My lawnnwould certainly benefit from any tips, such as to get my bum off the couch and pull the weeds haha. Whats your number one lawn care tip for a person who tries to avoid gardening?

As for trust, i do know that my wife is a sincere and sweet person, so i do trust her. However, the trauma from all the events do trigger anxiety and insecurity in me. My go to is just sticking to my values, honesty and patience. I love her dearly and know that she is the one who also had a terrifying experience. She has my admiration for her effort to untangle the reality from the temporary beliefs that were 100% real to her. It must be hard for her to regain her trust in me, as she firmly believed for over 6 months that i was out to hurt her.

My understanding is that she struggles with low self worth atm, and feeling very flat from the meds. However, shes actively engaging with mh services now to recover, heal and hopefuly find stable meds, strategies and rediscover joy in life.

In response to: Re: Friends to share the journey with

MaceySenior Contributor

Re: Friends to share the journey with

Well guess what @PuggleOne

Remember a lawn doesn't have to be grass of one kind either. Like, homogeneous.. I seen even a beautiful front lawn other day and it was a cottage mix of flowers - the whole thing. Look like a limning of paradise. ! So my tip number 1 be to love the ground for what it is 1st. As you do your wife 😊

In response to: Re: Friends to share the journey with

tymeModerator

Re: Friends to share the journey with

Hey @PuggleOne ,

Love your username.... puggle as in baby echidnas???

How you doin today?

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