I would not only rather be normal, but I would trade having many other physical illnesses and possibly trade a limb, other than having this mental illness. I am diagnosed as bipolar however I only had 1 manic episode in my life about 10 years ago and a few hypomanic episodes here and there. I mostly have deep long lasting depressions. This illness has wrecked my life. I had to drop out of college, was unable to work due to severe depression and undiagnosed bipolar at the time and med resistant, and now through the years have struggled with only being able to get low paying dead end jobs, having relationship issues, and dealing with trails and trails of medications to try to get better induring all the side effects and still feeling depressed and struggling with my life. So please don't wish to be bipolar. I can see where you are coming from thinking the manic phase is worth getting through the low times, but trust me it is not and like the posts before me, mania or hypomania is not always a happy euphoric feeling...