Jored,
I just want to give you a HUGE ((HUG)) right now. Being newly diagnosed is very difficult. I personally was diagnosed in 1995. I will admit that it took me about 7 years to come to complete grips with "what I was." Everyone is right though, it's always been there. Something now has just "triggered" it and it's identifiable now.

My mother liked reminding me how "different I was." *sigh* I love my mom, but I finally had to tell her to knock it off. *smile* Her favorite thing to ask is, "Have you been taking your medication?" So, just remember something... We tend to experience emotions much stronger than other people. As you take your medications and stabilize, you are going to feel different for awhile. I'll admit that I've never quite gotten used to it. *smile* But everyone else around you needs to remember that we ARE still allowed to feel emotions. Eventually, it will balance out. You will learn what it feels like to be "off kilter" and need extra help or to be left alone. It's just time consuming and something you will learn over the years.

It will get easier, I promise! Hang in there and read as much as you can on the subject. I actually turned my illness into 2 great reports for college. *grin* I learned a lot about the illness and pulled a few A's while I was at it. *laughing*

As for coping techniques? Oh, goodness. I think those are something we learn as we go along. I have learned to be careful of the "I need to be alone" mentality though. Because sometimes we need the exact opposite. It's just one of those things. *smile* Don't hide yourself from the world. You need to get out into it and learn to interact with it knowing how you are now. It's not that different and don't worry that people are looking at you funny. *smile*

CoPrincess