Dating while schizophrenic

I (F22) deal with a multitude of serious mental disorders. I'm both bipolar and schizophrenic, both of which are highly stigmatized and misunderstood. Despite it all, I attend a top-ranking university, take care of myself enough to be considered "attractive", and have done a lot of work on my personality to the point where I can easily make and keep friends. I also take my medications daily, and I'm finally a functioning human being because of all these changes. This was not always the case and I'm proud of myself for not giving up when I couldn't go outside or make friends because my delusions felt too real.

So, what now?

I met a guy online (M21) and I really like him. We've been talking for a few weeks and I think things are going well. However, I feel like I'm becoming obsessive to the point where I can't do anything except worry about if he likes me. This is not like me at all, I'm usually incredibly driven and I thought I was past the point of ruminating over circumstances out of my control. The thing is, I try my best to give him space and make him comfortable, but I'm starting to feel out of control of my emotions again. I don't know any of the "dating rules" and I've just been going with what I think feels right at the moment. All I know for certain right now is that he finds me attractive.

So, here are my questions:

  1. Should I tell him about my past mental state, or should I keep it under wraps for now?
  2. Is it even wise to date when I have these disorders?
  3. Should I tell him I like him?

TL;DR I suffer from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and I met a guy online I really like. Not sure if he likes me, so I'm feeling out of control of my emotional state.

Thanks for your time and reply!



Submitted May 04, 2020 at 12:07AM

I (F22) deal with a multitude of serious mental disorders. I'm both bipolar and schizophrenic, both of which are highly stigmatized and misunderstood. Despite it all, I attend a top-ranking university, take care of myself enough to be considered "attractive", and have done a lot of work on my personality to the point where I can easily make and keep friends. I also take my medications daily, and I'm finally a functioning human being because of all these changes. This was not always the case and I'm proud of myself for not giving up when I couldn't go outside or make friends because my delusions felt too real.So, what now?I met a guy online (M21) and I really like him. We've been talking for a few weeks and I think things are going well. However, I feel like I'm becoming obsessive to the point where I can't do anything except worry about if he likes me. This is not like me at all, I'm usually incredibly driven and I thought I was past the point of ruminating over circumstances out of my control. The thing is, I try my best to give him space and make him comfortable, but I'm starting to feel out of control of my emotions again. I don't know any of the "dating rules" and I've just been going with what I think feels right at the moment. All I know for certain right now is that he finds me attractive.So, here are my questions:Should I tell him about my past mental state, or should I keep it under wraps for now?Is it even wise to date when I have these disorders?Should I tell him I like him?TL;DR I suffer from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and I met a guy online I really like. Not sure if he likes me, so I'm feeling out of control of my emotional state.Thanks for your time and reply!
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