I know that feeling when you're first diagnosed. I told a close friend at college and she completely flipped out and told me I was going to be one of those people who do crazy things like go on a rampage and become violet. She in turn told everyone else on this small campus. I trusted her. And it hurt. I've never been violent in my whole life. That's not a feeling I want to experience again.

Now I tell no one. The only people who know are my parents. My close friends don't even know. For some reason, depression is more accepted than bipolar. If I have to tell someone I tell them I have depression. I will never out myself again with the bipolar diagnosis. There is more judgement for that than depression, at least in my experience.

The school I was at was so small I couldn't even return there. My professors treated me differently, no one wanted to talk to me anymore. I can't go through that again.

My advice--be very careful who you tell. I know you feel like you need to get it off your chest, but I wouldn't tell just anyone. I start with a depression diagnosis and if they take that well, eventually if I feel comfortable I might say it's bipolar later on.