1. I am stronger than my bipolar

2. I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.

3. I consider bipolar to be a bump in the road to a successful, happy life.

4. I finally have an excuse to take happy pills, and it's 100% doctor reccommended.

5. I get so much more done when I'm manic (chores, grocery, errands)

6. I'm 150% more confident than when I used to be.

7. Stress is a chance to determine what's in my head and what can be resolved.

8. I think it's wonderful people can notice what I'm feeling. It makes me slow down and be conscious of what I say and do. They're just trying to help.

9. It's a compliment when people tell me I'm not acting bipolar. It means I'm finally acting like a normal human being and that I'm getting better for the time being.

10. My fear of becoming delusional again is my motivation to keep taking the meds and do whatever it takes to become healthy again.

11. People asked me if I was on crack when I was a kid. They were elementary school kids and middle school kids. What do they know about mental illnesses? I didn't understand it then, but I understand it now that they were just as confused as I was.

12. I understand now that my self-harm was not because of anyone's abuse nor of my own blame, but because of my disorder, and now I have the tools to combat the negative thinking.

13. I'm in college and still can't decide what I want to do. But I learned in college survival that neither do 75% of the other college kids, who change their majors about three times during their studies. So after serious thinking, I narrowed it down to two careers, I'm going to go through with one and if it doesn't work out, I'll go back and study the next one. It's just trial and error, and lucky for me my best friend also wants to get the same certificate, so she can help me study (which I am the absolute worst at.)

14. I struggle with finding a job, and even more so with being happy in a job, but it pays the bills and I need an apartment more than I need to end up in a hospital jobless. I take my job hunt day by day, and do my very best with each interview.

15. hahaha, #18 is so funny because I can totally relate to that. I hate school because I have trouble utulizing my full potential. I could have gotten straight A's in high school, but ended up getting D's and F's. I'm really smart, but I can't study and I hate homework. But my JC is super cool because they have so many resources, plus my best friend is the ideal student who can help me with my homework and teach me how to study. Let's just hope I don't mess up her studying time!

16. Oh man, #19 really hits home. I'm still attached to someone I've been following since the 9th grade. I just had a dream about him last night about prom and it's always about trying to make it up to him and trying to make things better. My mom has a saying, "Live life with no regrets". it just won't do me any good to keep dwelling on the past. Though I can deal with most anything, he is the one person I haven't been able to get over, and I think it's because I choose not to. I'm just not ready to get over him. Someday he will fade into the background and I will move on with my life.

17. The more I feel my bipolar, the easier it is for me to tell the difference between mania and happiness. Sometimes it just takes an outside person to tell.

18. I freaking LOVE my doctor! If it wasn't for him I'd still be Harry Potter. I owe him my life.

19. Sometimes I start sobbing, then catch myself and start laughing. I find it very amusing.

20. I keep telling myself that someday I'll be off meds. No one knows that for sure, but it keeps me motivated to keep fighting my disorder.

21. I wouldn't have graduated high school if I didn't keep fighting.

22. I managed to last 5 out of 6 weeks of police cadet training while heavily medicated and on too high of a dose. Not sure if I want to do it again, but hey, I got that far.

23. Labels are labels. Gays have a label, rock bands have a label, mental illnesses have labels. All you can do is correct them and prove them wrong.

24. That moment in my head after racing thoughts when everything is super quiet and I can feel the silence of the whole house? Priceless.

25. Though it means I'm a little unstable, I certainly do like feeling on top of the world. It's a much better alternative than feeling like a worthless POS.

26. My #1 favorite thing about being bipolar? My creativity. Whether it's gardening, cooking, moving furniture around, writing, or painting I love to express myself and being bipolar I can do that to the extreme and unleash my full potential.