Thanks for writing this, Allie. It’s frustrated me since I got diagnosed, when friends and family mentally went “whew, so THAT’S what’s wrong with you. Now I can (back away from you slowly), (put you in a box), (talk about you in psychobabble), (question you about your meds all the time) etc.

I’m fortunate in that I have a loving family (parents and siblings) who are supportive and strong. But on occasion those closest to me seem to feel that they’re talking to the illness, not the person underneath. Because “scary” comes up in their heads when I’m sad or angry. It might even come up when I’m happy and enthusiastic. It’s confusing and strange for all of us. You’re right, there’s no foolproof way of dealing with any of this; but certainly our first best tool is to listen to one another on a case-by-case basis.