I'm really sorry if this sounds like a rant. I have not got a definitive diagnosis for bipolar as they want to monitor my moods for 6 months but its the most likely candidate right now. Mental illness is fairly new to me. The only people I know who suffer from mental illness had either depression or anxiety and even then, they were seen as being weak, emotionally unstable and insecure. I understand that with bipolar, my moods and emotions change a lot, but I honestly find it hard to believe that anyone with any kind of mental illness is weak. I've been struggling with mental health issues for slightly less than a year and I swear it has not been easy. It takes a lot of strength to not just reach for help but to even keep going on. The periods where I feel fine and really happy are like the best times in my life, but the periods where the paranoia comes in and totally ruins my life are like having to relive a nightmare over and over again. The kind of fear that I have to deal with in episodes like this is so overwhelming, it takes a lot to try and overcome it. The paranoid thoughts feel so real that I get really depressed and think people are all out to get me. Having to struggle to face your fears on a daily basis is not an easy task. I am not on meds right now although it was highly recommended I see a psychiatrist. I am only experiencing the early stages of Bipolar and already I admire all those who have been battling mental illness for years and years now, whether they are on meds or not. The fact that we have continued to struggle makes me wonder why people see us as weak? Maybe emotionally unstable, but I honestly don't think I'm that weak or insecure. Is there really anything wrong with being bipolar, or having some other kind of mental illness? Why do people keep looking down on me and making me seem like I'm just never going to be as good as them? And no I am not insecure, just tired of people belittling me and telling me I'm not good enough. Even when I worked really hard to do well in college, it doesn't matter because there's something wrong with me and I'm never going to be as good as everybody else. Why is that so? Why can't people with bipolar do the same things "normal" people do? Why can't I have dreams or ambitions without being laughed at? I don't want to sound like I'm complaining or whining here. The community on pc have been really supportive and nonjudgmental. The only people who have been so supportive and have never made me feel like I'm some kind of messed up person for having mental health issues. I just am tired of people making fun of me. Is there really anything wrong with mental illness?