It was hard for my family not to accept my diagnosis 30 years ago because I was in and out of the hospital a half dozen times. They were relieved that I had Bipolar (I) because they said I had schizophrenia after my first manic episode (manic -depression , as it was called at the time, was far more treatable than schizophrenia). I was the one who fought the Dx for years, needlessly causing hospitalizations and ultimately the ruination of my marriage because I was too frickin proud to accept a MI diagnosis. I am cool with it now - even feel fortunate somehow that lithium allows me to lead a "normal" life with a condition undetected by those I choose not to disclose my brain chemistry to.