My roommate's undiagnosed Bipolar disorder

My roommate has undiagnosed bipolar disorder and has for years. Had I known this moving in, I would have chosen a different place to live. The hard part is that i start my new job on Monday and I don't want her to jeopardize it, by making demands on me as she has been: making her meals (she refuses to leave her bedroom 2 months to present) being the biggest issue. Her teenager has gone to live with her ex-husband so I just have to look after her cat. I can't move out until I find a place to live, so I'm stuck in this toxic situation until then.

I say "undiagnosed" because her friend told me she's been this way for about 6 years and has refused to attend therapy, refused to go on antidepressants, and refused to acknowledge that she has a mental illness.

I know you have had issues with this PITA for a bit now. I would just worry about the cat. Will she allow herself to starve if you do not bring her food?

Hey Sarah,

No. I think she's capable of walking to her kitchen to feed herself. I do think that she's snooped in my bedroom aka her guest bedroom on my desktop computer, too. I foolishly assumed I wouldn't have to lock it because she never leaves her bedroom, has her own cellphone and her own laptop. But several times I've opened up my desktop screen to find a browser open or my email open. Now, either it's her or her cat. But now I'm locking my desktop. I went out this morning and locked my desktop so when I checked it just now, nothing was wrong with it.

It's ironic. I had no one feed me or offer to bring me food when I slept in my mom's empty apartment after moving her to a nursing home. Not even my own sister or her family. I had to take care of myself. So, this experience is extremely difficult for me. My true feelings are that this middle aged roommate is very entitled, and attention-seeking, and her friends and family enable this behavior in her, even after she rejects their offer to help, and rejects legitimate psychological help. This visit to a psychiatrist on Monday isn't the first attempt her friends and family have made. She will go but she never follows up afterward, I've been told. She simply refuses to seek help for herself. All I know is, in 3 weeks, even if I have to rent a hotel room with a kitchen, I'm getting the hell out of here. I start my new job tomorrow and I will not let this woman's mental illness jeopardize my new job.

Yes, I will take care of her cat. The cat is with me all the time here at her house anyway. I'm going to tell her in 3 weeks that I will take her cat with me and I'll be surprised if she says no.

Well so much for the psychiatric hospital attempt to get my roommate help. She left today. I came home from my new job and she was in her bedroom again. Her friends didn't even warn me (gee, thanks "friends" of my roommate). She made excuses that "I couldn't sleep there so I left today." She doesn't sleep here in her own house. She's up all night watching tv. I suggested that she try Melatonin and she said that she would.

But, like that adage goes, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

My search for an apartment by November 1st continues...