Anika is in the right track ... educating yourself and recognizing the symptoms so you can be aware of the episodes happening is the key!!

What you need to remember is that:

1. you're not alone MILLIONS of people are diagnosed Bipolar.
2. Bipolar Disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects common parts of your behavior and everyday life. Everyone's chemicals are different (like fingerprints), so getting the right "cocktail" of medications will take trial and error.
3. Therapy is not for people with issues, it's a way for anyone to cope with everyday bumps in the road and it's an excellent way of figuring things out in life.
4. Bipolar is not like a headache where you take an aspirin and 30 min later you're fine, it takes a combination of different things to keep you "balanced" - Like Anika said, everything from sleeping patterns, exercise, diets, medicines, therapy, all of it plays a big part in keeping you "afloat".

Keep reading, keep asking, and don't get discouraged. Some of the most amazing people who have walked this Earth are Bipolar!!

*hugs*