The Lives of Famous Men: 'You should be proud of who you are': Rock N Roll Therapy

The Lives of Famous Men aren't doctors -- They're rockers. But that's not stopping them from picking up a stethoscope -- read on as they tackle issues from Buzznet members ranging from bipolar disorder to l-o-v-e and decide if they just might have a future in counseling in this edition of Rock N Roll Therapy.



Darkcorner5: There is this Irish girl here that I hang with and people say I should ask her out and that whoever I'm heads over heels for in Calgary won't know. I like her but I'm still heavily heads over heels for her but during our school trip I found out that both girls hooked up. To top it off there's this guy who lives in BC and I dont know who I wanna pick cause I just want one. My parents still have no clue that I'm bi and I dont know how I'm gona tell em cause there super religious and divorced and that I'm also on anti-depressants cause I have bipolar and they don't know that either. I'm graduating next summer I've started to submit applications to Colleges and I'm worried my marks might not be good enough. It seems as if I'm having a emotional, social and pretty much any other breakdown.


LOFM: We feel for you man, long distance relationships can be next to impossible. The important thing is that you are honest and open with your long distance partner. You should tell them that you're interested in pursuing other relationships- in the long run dishonesty will just leave to your partner feeling worse or yourself feeling guilty.
This can be especially difficult for someone with your sexual orientation in our society with such a black and white view of sexuality. Your parents should love you and support you regardless of your orientation, but if you don't need to tell them right now then don't. Timing is important, you should tell them when you feel it is right. Take some time to prepare how and when you will tell them, it may be shocking at first but they will know that it is your choice and there is nothing they can do. Since your folks are divorced think about which one of your parents will be easier to tell, and ask other family members you feel more comfortable with for support. There is no way that your parents could possibly be angry with you for being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, if they suggest you to stop taking your meds ask for them to see a doctor that will give you an alternative to medication. Bipolar disorder can be treated in many different ways; we're not doctors but the best medication you can have is regular exercise, eating well and staying healthy. I know it sounds like a lame thing to say, but seriously you would be surprised how much better you feel. Although high school can be drag, you've made it this far. It sounds like you're in your final year and pretty soon you won't have to worry about "labels" and all that high school crap. So we suggest sticking it out and enjoying the time you have left, and not worrying about you marks because its in the past. Be thinking about your future.




Pompasaurus: In the past this hasn't been too hard (mainly because I've been doing the heart breaking and haven't felt too strongly for the person), but this time, it's rough. Thing is, we were in Love, with a capital L, and still are. We broke up for completely logical reasons (I'm moving in a year for grad school, he's not.) How do you get over something like that? I have supportive friends and I still talk to him everyday but should I be dating? Going out? Staying home?

LOFM: A year is long time, it seems if you were still in love you would want to take advantage of the time you have left together. Also, we understand it's hard to put time into a relationship that is ultimately going to end. So if the two of you want to spend time together, you should, but just make sure you're not relying on him too much. The trick is appreciate his company while you're still there but to slowly become less dependent him so when you leave it isn't so rough on you.




Psidontloveyou:My family thinks I'm on drugs. They think that because my mother is an ex-pot-crack-any-other-drug-there-is head. They also think I do drugs because of the people I hang out with and the stuff I like. But it's not only drugs they think I'm doing. They also think I'm bulimic and/or anorexic. And I'm not. I try to lose weight ((Exercise, and barely eat)), but I'm still overweight. So now I'm thinking about becoming bulimic and taking drugs. I don't know what to do. I want to prove to my family that I'm better than drugs (and my mom!) and eating disorders.


LOFM: We're glad you had the courage to tell us about all of this. It means that you want help, which is good, but you have to stop cutting. It's something that works temporarily but it's something you'll regret for the rest of your life. Unfortunately when bad stuff happens in life we have little control over it, and we just have to accept that fact and deal with these things in healthy ways. Like sharing our problems and talking about them like this. The fact that you're thinking about throwing up your food and taking drugs is very scary. Obviously you're looking for an escape from whatever "bad stuff" has happened, which is normal. If you do start doing drugs and being bulimic more "bad stuff" is just gonna happen- no good can come from these things. If the people you are hanging out with are doing drugs, it's probably a bad environment for you to be in. You should hang out with people who like you for who you are. You should be proud of who you are. We know you want to do the right things, so you have to prove it to your family. You have to make the right decisions, no matter how hard they are. You have to prove it to them, and yourself, that you're better than that. 

One Star Story actually weighed in last week with some different advice for Pompasaurus and Psidontloveyou -- check it out here.)

Have a personal issue? Would you like to get some advice from a musician? Post your situation in the Rock N Roll Therapy Group.