It can be extremely daunting to meet new people, especially if you have bipolar depression. However, taking the first step to introduce yourself is important. If you are at a party or social function, just go up to the person and say hello and tell them your name. For example, you may be at a friend’s party or at a social meetup. Scan the crowd for someone who looks nice or interesting. Go up to that person and say, “Hi. My name is ____. What’s yours?” If someone is alone, then they will likely be happy to have the company. Sometimes, just going up to someone and introducing yourself may be awkward. Instead, you may find it easier to start a conversation with someone. Use the situation you are in or the location to give you a good starting place for conversation. Just make sure to stick to neutral topics and avoid anything potentially inflammatory, such as politics.   If you are in class, start a conversation with someone about the homework or the material you’re covering. If you’re at a social meetup for board games, start talking to someone about the board game they are playing. If you’re at a friend’s party, comment on the food or the music. For example, you can say, “What game are they playing? It looks fun, but I have never seen it before” or “What did you think of the book we read for class?” or “I didn’t know they were getting burritos catered. I love burritos, and this place is one of the best.” As you pursue friends with bipolar depression, the time is going to come when you want to share your condition with your friends. Think about how you want to tell and why. Make sure you wait until you get to know and trust the person before you decide to share it with them.  Think about why you want to tell this person. Will this person be understanding? Will they be patient and supportive? Consider how they talk with other people as well because this will be a good indication of how they will talk to you. When you finally tell the person, tell them as much as they need to know. For example, “I have bipolar depression. That means I sometimes have trouble with my moods and go through phases of depression. This doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I just wanted you to know.” Or, if you feel uncomfortable sharing this much, then you can also share a symptom of your bipolar disorder. For example, you might say, “I often have trouble sleeping at night.” Trouble sleeping is a common complaint so most people can relate to it. If you’re to the point where you want to tell people about your condition, you should be careful how often you talk about it. If you are struggling with your symptoms or going through a bad patch, it’s okay to talk about it or let your friends know. However, don’t talk about the bipolar every time you get together with people. Don’t detail your health problems or difficulties with bipolar all the time when you’re with other people. Though you may deal with it constantly, you don’t want that to be the focus of your conversations and social interactions. Make sure to listen to your friend’s concerns as well.

Summary:
Introduce yourself. Find something to start a conversation about. Choose when you share your condition carefully. Limit how often you talk about your bipolar disorder.