Ohhhhh, yeah. I know all too well what you're feeling and am still struggling with it as well. It's been a little less than a year since I received my diagnosis and I continue to try to reconcile my own expectations for myself, as well as "society's" expectations of me as a professional person, with what is realistic.

I've always hated the idea of limitations and never acknowledged that I had any, and frankly I resent the hell out of bipolar for imposing them on me in a way that I can no longer ignore. Now you'd think I'd know there are limits to what I can do---I'm 54 years old, diabetic, and not in the best physical shape---but until I was given the BP 'label' I was able to deny that anything was truly wrong with me. I don't get to do that anymore.

Still, as much as I hate this, I also know I'm far better off in many ways than I was a year ago. I wasn't imagining that there was a shadow dogging my heels all my life---there is an actual enemy, and now I know the bastard's name. And when you know your enemy and know yourself, you can fight just about anything.