Simon, that's so great for you and your new friend. I had a boss who was bipolar and her teenage daughter away at college was suddenly diagnosed with it and she was in denial, didn't know her mother (and an uncle, opposite side) had it but I was working in their home and it was just this big secret for so long, my boss just kept hinting around about it but I suspected it had to do with mental health so started discussing mine (or lack of it :-) and gradually my boss realized I understood and told me the whole story and I could tell it was a relief to her. Just knowing there are others out there with similar stories is so comforting, almost as nice and realizing you can help someone else too.