I know the latest Psyco-babble is that we are not our illness, so we have Biolar is very important to them. Well I am sorry to inform them that it is their issue and none of their business if I say I am Bipolar, which I do. Only I know what I mean by that. Actually they are the ones that are arrogant thinking they have figured out something I haven't. If anyone should be offended it is me, that someone else has the arrogance to tell me how I should phrase my illness. Comparing Bipolar to the spectrum of other illnesses, Bipolar has affected every area of my life, friendships, relationships, sex drive,""either hyper when unmedicated or non-exsistant when medicated"", Parenting was one of my biggest struggles, Had a great bussiness and had a episode stayed up for 6 weeks and spent 180 thousand dollars on charge cards, ended up DX'D and medicated, and in Bankruptcy court. I am now on SSDI, and the business is gone after 21 years of hard work. Today I realize it was my Hypo-Mania that allowed me to build and work the business. I know of no other illness, that can affect every area of your life, as Bipolar does mine. There are the side effects of meds, the stuggle to find the right combination, and then the cycling which requires medication adjustments 4 to 6 times a year. And then the episodes that just pop up for some of us. Oh and let me not forget, when out of the blue a medication just quits working, which is not recognized by my "treatment team" until I am well into a episode. How many people need a treatment team, for the REST OF OUR LIFE. I am sure I have missed more than half of what we have to deal with on a daily basis. We have earned the right to refer to ourselves any way we choose. Print this off and give it to that person in your group or read it outloud. I have been DX"D and medicated for over 17 years. My best friend was DX'd at 16, and is now 63, almost 50 years and has dealt with everything here, still has unstable times and has been on Kidney dialysis for 7 years because of one of his meds. Myself I went un-DX'D for 25 years, and could not figure out what was wrong with me. Just 2 cases. Good Luck in your group, I am sure there will be many good things you will be able to learn there.