Very good thread with so many valid points about needing to own and manage our problems, and about why it is different from other more purely physical illnesses.

If I recall correctly, the diabetes analogy is a favourite argument used by pharmaceutical companies to give weight to the benefits of medication to treat it. But it does paint an overly simplistic picture of how the illness affects people, and what drugs are expected to achieve in treating it.

For example, people diagnosed with Bipolar disorder frequently experience heightened senses and awareness of emotional dimensions that most people pay scant attention to. Creativity is a significant marker for many bipolar people. Diagnosis and treatment usually focuses on reducing symptoms such as anxiety, delusional thinking, dangerous behaviours, and depressive symptoms. The drugs used frequently squash those positive traits like a bulldozer used to remove the weeds in a delicate bonsai garden.

Many of us experience the pain of treatments that do a rather crude job of helping us cope.