Hey Polly and welcome to PC....

I too am bipolar and have spent months in denial... I was only diagnoised in Nov 2010 and I work with men who all have Autism. I worked with 2 guys who both had/have Bipolar. 1 has been hospitalised due to his. I felt ashamed when I was going through the diagnoisis process as I should of seen the signs etc but then I have to keep telling myself they have learning disabilities and autism... I don't!!

I don't have a good experience with work knowing about my diagnoisis actually off at the moment due to them thinking I am "unsafe" been off for nearly 3 months... which btw has caused me to be more ill than anything.

I use to tell my service users not to be ashamed by their Bipolar but I am ashamed and sometimes embarrassed at how people treat me and how I act when in a manic episode/depressive episode. My family do not know well my parents and siblings know and that is it. I am ashamed and I don't know how to "embrace" my Bipolar instead of "hiding" from it