Dear Hamster,

Your post made me sad tonight. The problem is not you, it is society and its ideals. The other problem is ignorance about bipolar and the side effects of the medications.

I am very sorry for the battery of negative comments that you have experienced because of weight gain. I really wish that you had experienced empathy instead.

The most important thing is that you are happy with yourself versus what others think. If you want to lose weight, do it for yourself, and only for yourself.

You deserve someone who accepts you for who you are now. The only constant is change and we all do as we age. To be held to the standard of your sixteenth and twenty fifth year, now that is ridiculous!