lbrown1:

I say "I am" too. It's part of me, and for the last 2 years it's been most of what I've been. I'm also sure, that it has changed me in numerous ways.
I study psychology too - I bet that girl doesn't have or is bipolar herself? Well, she shouldn't tell you what to call yourself.

I think, like someone else wrote, that the political correctness has gone too far - why was she correcting you., I mean, that's your choice. A girl in my class once told me that I shouldn't call people that see psychiatrists "patients", that "clients" is better.

"Clients!" That sounds like you're sewing somebody. I AM a patient, so that's what I call it and I will continue to do so. In fact, she herself had lots of stupid ideas about the mentally ill, she was quite intolerant herself. Sometimes I think the people that are so concerned with correctness are often not ill themselves. I think sometimes the ones that are bipolar themselves - they are more humourous about their illness and don't take things so seriously