I love your assessment!

If I may, from my own journey to self acceptance, can I go a little deeper?

Why does the child need to repress emotions? Because he isn't allowed to be himself. Something about him is getting a negative or weird response consistently from others and he's learned essentially to keep his ideas and emotions to himself...repression.

What I saw (and see) in my own life is that I could see deeper into life than my peers and that manifested itself into different likes, dislikes, activities, needs, wants, etc...

For example, I never cared for sports. I just didn't see the joy in all the effort just to move a ball to the goal and then love myself for the effort.

What was important to others simply wasn't important to me. That made me an outsider but I didnt' understand why.

I also agree that bipolar may be simply a more extreme form of ADD/ADHD and I consider both to be not personal disorders but that the symptoms are the clash between exceptionally intelligent/creative people and the masses.

I've seen that any bipolar or ADD/ADHD person is capable of amazing sensitivity, intelligence, love, creativity, etc.... But when anyone, especially us, can't be himself, that repression will explode one day violently as the uncounscious mind can no longer hold that tension of keeping the peace with a society that judges and doesn't accept.

I posted on my website the other day my ADD ADHD Self Help, Self Healing Story but I can't post the link yet since I'm new here. It's too long to post here. I'll make the rounds and then post it when I'm allowed to.

I would love to hear your comments!