Thousands of people all over America are not ashamed to go to AA and 12 step themselves back to recovery, yet these same people would be afraid
to admit they are bipolar and even admit less they are mentally ill.You can not 12 step bipolar into anything that resembles recovery the way you can
an alcoholic in AA since bipolarity can not be reasoned with and must be attacked head on with medications. I speak from years of experience when I say I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 in 1997 and am a veteran at running through this daily.

I hear too many people talk about thriving with bipolar and doing away without the stigma, but you know, sometimes that just does not work for everyone and I wish more people would educate themselves about the differences between bipolar 2 and bipolar 1, that way we can all be on the same topic level at the same time. When you been on SSI since 1997 from bipolar 1, then there is no way to hide that fact to your friends and if you can't tell them then they are not your friends. As a BP1 w/ psychotic ideations, I have to chose my friends carefully, so they don't trigger any suicidal psychotic tendencies.