I decided not to tell my friends about my depression or my hospitalizations. For me, this is a very private matter and I choose to keep it to myself. I’m not sure how my friends would react if I told them, but the most important thing to me is that they don’t think any less of me.

 

Telling Friends about my Depression
I didn’t tell my friends about my disorder until I had to be admitted to the hospital. I didn’t want them to ask a lot of questions, but when I found out that I was going to the hospital I thought it was important for them to know why I was leaving. I wrote a letter to my best friend explaining why I was going to the hospital and told her to tell my other friends. This way I wasn’t embarrassed about telling everyone. I got a great response when I went home. Everyone gave me lots of hugs, they decorated my locker, and one of my friends even reenacted a dance that I missed. Even while I was at the hospital I received lots of letters and magazines from my friends. It was nice to know that they were thinking of me. Before I told my friends I was unsure of the reaction I would get. I expected my close friends to be supportive, but I never imagined that other people would be so welcoming when I returned.

 

Telling Friends about My Bipolar Disorder
I didn’t really tell my friends about my bipolar disorder because I was kind of suppressing it. I didn’t really talk about it with them. I didn’t talk about it really with anybody. Then I started talking about it with a therapist and that really helped me out a lot. She knew exactly what everything was, exactly what was happening, it was really cool. A friend came up to the ambulance right as I was leaving and he asked, “Where’s he going?” I told them about how I went to the hospital and then, it was nice for them to know what was going on with me.

 

Telling My Friends
I told my friends about my depression after coming to the hospital. Telling them has helped because they come to visit me as often as they can. I think coming to visit helps them as well because they can see I’m getting better. It’s important to tell supportive people about your hospitalization. That way, you know people will be there for you throughout your treatment.