nuts

hello everyone i was wondering if anyone here is bipolar and/or knows the symptoms? because i have been pretty messed up for a while, but im only now ready to come to terms with it and deal with it head on. i went to my doctor about 6 months ago and he was pretty dismissive of me, partly my fault though as i did not give him the whole story. ive been looking for a long time at my "symptoms" and im convinced it is manic depression. obviously im no doctor! but i would like to know how anyone else out there handled it, or any other problem similar to this. would love to hear anything and everything, hearing other people handling there problems always makes others feel less alone, me included. thanks to anyone who replies, much appreciated

well i hate to sound dramatic but my secret is pretty life changing! i don't know, maybe its best if i don't tell this person. but the reason i didn't want to post it here is because 1. it won't affect any of you (!) and 2. i think i need a more personal chat about it. it's more of a confession than a secret anyway. it may sound silly, but does anyone know that website where you send a postcard with a confession on it and they show it on the site? even that would be a help!

my best friend has gone away and won't be back for some time. normally we would tell each other about things in our lives that are important as soon as we can but contact is limited and what i have to say cannot be done over the phone. its a really big deal for me and i need to confide in someone but i don't know who to turn to! i live with someone who is a good friend of mine and would be the next logical choice to go to, but im not sure if they are trustworthy of my secret. i feel like i'm going to burst if i don't telll soon! should i confide in this friend or just keep it to myself? much appreciated if anyone could advise.

hi, thank you for replying. well my family aren't exactly hostile towards the gay community. my mother has some gay friends but for her son to be gay or bisexual is a whole other matter altogether. i don't theink any of them would take to it particularly well.

i haven't been on this website in such a long time. last time i was on i was coming to terms with the fact that i was bisexual, i guess i was coming out to myself. since then i have become more accepting of my sexual preferences but still have not found the courage to tell anyone yet. i believe that one of the reasons is that so far i am bisexual in theory, not in practice, and so i feel the need to dip my toe in the water (so to speak) just to be sure of myself. so i joined an internet website to look for other like-minded guys and ended up meeting someone. it seems as though we share a lot of the same views and opinions on our sexuality as well as other things. i've grown to like him a lot in quite a short time and i am quite sure that although i can tell he likes me back, it may not be on the same level. i really want to meet him in person but im scared to as i am not ready to come out yet. i haven't been completely honest with him about that part of my life yet but i would like to be. basically i'm not sure if i should meet him or not. if i tell him the truth and he isn't interested i'll be crushed. silly i know, but i can't help that. and if he does agree to meet i'm worried about other people finding out. can anyone please offer any advice on what the hell to do?!

i could really use some support from anyone else who has been thru what i am going through right now. i have been very depressed for years and have never done anything about it. i finally told my parents how i feel today. my dad (who doesnt live at home) kind of thought it was just dumb issue i needed to get over. he doesnt understand. my mum hasnt talked to me about it yet. im really worried to tell her. she has problems of her own, i dont want to burden her with the fact that she has a messed up son. its harder because i live away from home so contact is either by email or phone, with both of them. its really difficult to explain to them what im going through. im in tears right now just writing it all down. i dont want to let them down or make them feel bad, but i cant keep this to myself any longer. its been like this for 5 years and its killing me inside. the worst part is that i just moved out and met a bunch of new friends. but i keep pushing them all out. im making things more difficult for myself then they have to be. i wont let myself be happy and i dont even know why. i guess i needed to get this all out. im really scared to think that im finally confronting this to my parents. i dont want them to have to worry about me but at the same i cant do this alone. id appreciate so much if anyone could share what theyve been thru, how theyve handled it. i will take everything to heart.

yup, know exactly what you mean. the smallest things can trigger a whole downward spiral from which its hard to pick yourself back up from. i could give advice, but it'd be hypocritical of me as i cant follow through with any of it myself. what i can offer though is that you dont just hope it will go away. ive been waiting years for this to end and its not. nothing can ever change if you dont take action towards it. if you feel like going to a doctor then do it. at least that way he can tell you if anything needs to be done. can i ask how old you are?

well the good news is that i havent seen him for a couple days as he's been away. i havent thought of him a whole lot either, not until he's brought up or mentioned in conversation anyway. but when he is the topic, those little (okay, big) feelings of envy kick in again. its definitely not infatuation (not yet anyway...) as i realised the jealousy is a lot stronger than the crush feelings. ugh i dont know what to do. i know that when he gets back i'll like him again. ive even seen some of his faults already, which i ended up liking, believe it or not. i guess i'll just have to wait and see what happens. i dont want to stop liking him as a friend but i cant carry on liking him more than that. agh!

im sure many a gay man would have you done for slander with a comment like that! i dont agree whatsoever. i think that attraction can come from many different things: physical, emotional, whatever. for that reason some people might be able to bounce from one sex to another without thinking anything of it. on the other hand, some think the idea of one sex is mortifying. its all just individual preference. maybe the guy in question really is done with guys because after trying it out, it just wasnt his thing. whatever the real answer is, as his friend, if you respect him and his lifestyle, let him go with it. he'll figure himself out in time.

i've been there as well, still am really. sometimes it can take a long time to meet the friends that are right for you. i have been through so many different people that either had been friends or i hoped they would be friends. but the few that i have held on to have been the ones that will be there for life. dont give up on other people. it can seem so easy at times but ultimately its not what you want. try and stay positive. you get what you give so if you go out there with a positive, confident outlook, you might see things differently. hope things can be different for you.

hi guys im in a real bad position right now. i just moved in with a whole bunch of new people at university. i really like most of them and we all get on really well. the problem is, i think i might like one of the guys a little too much... after knowing him a short while i think he's a really cool guy. he's very good looking, good dresser, good build, etc. and i think im getting a crush that i really dont want! if for no other reason, i cant like him like that because he's straight. not to mention, he doesn't know im not... anyway i just want to be friends with this guy, i have to stop liking so much him asap. when he's hanging around other guys and not me it kind of upsets me, i cant let that carry on. any suggestions? i think im also jealous of him. that's very odd. i really like a lot of thigs about him but i think a lot of it has to do with me being envious of his characteristics, looks, dress sense, all that stuff. yet that just makes me like him more. help please! i would be so much appreciated.

very true. and another reason why i have never brought myself to do it.

id rather not think about it personally...

and one more thing..... hahaha i like the topic title.

but heres what i dont get. i am one of those bi's who tend to be more physically attracted to guys and emotionally attracted to girls - but thats certainly not always the case. many a time has the sight of a woman turned me on. equally speaking, i have fallen in "deep like" (no way am i gonna call it love) with a guy simply because of who he was inside. that in itself allowed me to become physically attracted to him as well. so with all that said and done, does this mean that i should choose one or the other? i cant control my feelings for anyone, be it sexual or emotional. who knows if in the future i'll go all-gay or all-straight. whatever does happen, i refuse to label myself right now as one way or the other. im still young, still finding things out for myself. "bisexual" so happens to be the easiest term to describe what i am and how i feel. i may not like using it (i HATE labels) but for now its the easiest thing. as for those gays who "hide" behind bisexuality... i agree that its an easier way to ease yourself into homosexuality. if it makes them happy then so be it.