"I have bipolar." Is what you say to employers, friends, when it comes up it everyday conversation. This removes "you" from "bipolar" and when you do that, you allow for a more positive image. It isn't political correctness. It is presenting the opportunity for your personality to bleed through, past the stigma. Words are powerful and by choosing a phrase or word, you are affecting thought. Just look at advertising and marketing.

Bipolar is a negative thing, and effects people in many different ways. Bipolar may have an impact on "who you are" as a person but, not in the same way it does for someone with a different personality, set of experiences etc. Who is impacted by bipolar. Bipolar is not a trait as cancer is not a trait.

As for the whole "I'm bipolar" and "I'm depressed" discussion, "depressed" describes not only clinical forms but, everyday feelings. Feelings of depression are completely normal, common and are not disordered or ill. In everyday speech, sying "I'm depressed." Is like saying, "I'm annoyed." Or "I'm happy." It isn't who you are but, this does effectively express an intimate experience. Bipolar, on the other hand, is not a feeling or emotion. Bipolar is a mood disorder and everyone here should know what that means.