There are some people who can't or won't understand at all. My wife is bipolar, and some people are more understanding than others.
We had a former pastor who thought anyone with any mental issue could snap out of it by willpower alone. My wife has been under a psychiatrist's care for 24 years, and is not going to just "snap out of it" even though she is better than she used to be.
You may have to have minimal interaction with people who are rigid and inflexible. As my wife's primary caregiver, I am constantly getting better at "reading" people. In my experience, some people I have to steer her away from, since since some think THEY are the ones that can persuade her to see things their way.
Caregivers need support also. I sometimes talk with a guy from church who was married for over thirty years to a bipolar women. He has taught classes for NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) mentioned by another poster (the website is www.nami.org and sometimes people can get tips there on various helpful items). We support each other in a quiet way.
Please hold in there, some people do try to understand. PaulView Thread