There have been some really interesting replies here, thanks guys! (although I think we've vered a bit off-topic with the making fun/comedy issues ).

Again, not talking about people who fake it for whatever reason, referring to people who are truly suffering, are looking for a reason for it, and for some reason vear towards the Bipolar diagnosis -oftentimes based on misinformation. I guess I've gotten my answers: romanticizing, ignorance of what the experience is really about, etc. Any other thoughts? Do you think for example that people seek out say an MDD diagnosis to the same extent as Bipolar? I mean I don't see people asking if x and y symptoms mean that they are MDD, just don't see it. Although maybe it's because Bipolar is so complex and can mimic so many other things -it's a tough one to parse out. Rambling and thinking aloud here...

I'm bringing this up in part I think because when I sense others romanticizing it and misunderstanding it, it feels invalidating to me, to what I experience. If it's a "fashionable" diagnosis then maybe -on paper- it loses some meaning, or at least to some people. I don't know if I'm making sense here...