any advice for a teen with bipolar?
I received my diagnosis when I was freshly 16. I was hypomanic two months before my birthday and it eventually lead into mania & psychosis. I was hospitalised for 5 months and received my diagnosis there although I was diagnosed with cyclothymia beforehand which was left untreated as my care providers didn’t know what to do. I believe I have struggled with bipolar since I was younger than that though. At 13 I started to have major depressive episodes which would last for MONTHS. I lost all my friends during that time and since then I haven’t been able to maintain healthy friendships. I feel so alone all the time and it feels like no one understands what I’m going through. I am now 17 and not in education. I don’t understand how I am meant to make friends when I don’t go to college. I turn 18 in 5 months and I feel so disappointed in myself. I feel so far behind from everyone else and it feels like I missed out on the teenage life. Everyone I know is going clubbing, driving, partying. Im not even aloud to get my provisional on top of all this. This has just turned into a rant but I am just so unhappy with how my life has turned out to be and feel so hopeless. I don’t want to feel like this anymore and I was hoping if anyone else got diagnosed in their teens or early 20s if they could share their experiences and maybe give some advice?