Personally, I thin it's horrible. It not only affects me mentally, but also physically. Unlike most other reply's I was diagnosed in a severe depressed state. I had just cut to the point of almost needing stitches, and my stomach was so messed up I hadn't kept food down in almost 2 weeks. My mom, who was a terrible person and an abusive mother was Bipolar, and the disease killed her. Because my mom was so horrible, once I was diagnosed, my family pretty much cut off contact. The ones that did stay in touch treated me differently thinking that I would be just like her. Just as horrible and immoral of a person. I also lost a lot of friends. Basically I was left all alone to deal with the diagnosis.
Now 6 years later I still hate it. My boyfriend of 4 years still doesn't understand how someone could literally not understand why they feel the way they feel. I hate the rapid cycling, and I hate when I get stuck in an extreme. I hate all of the racing thoughts. I sometimes feel like I have several personalities in my head. There's the mad me, the "normal" me, the depressed me, the IDGAF me, the super hyper me...It's almost like picking out an outfit for the day "how and which mood will dominate your brain today?" It's just an expensive, unaffordable battle within yourself.

At least for me