I'm right there with you. I don't have anyone in my small circle of people I'm close to who also suffers from bipolar disorder. I can relate to people simplifying what we're going through. Someone asked me today how I was feeling. I had just recently told him about my diagnosis and felt he was someone I could trust to take it seriously. When I told him my life had been like an overwhelming rollercoaster lately, his response was that everyone has rollercoasters in their lives sometimes. Thanks. Much help. I'm so frustrated with people trying to belittle what I'm going through, because it's not just some little thing that just anyone can connect with. It takes over my whole life. I, like you, am tired of being so misunderstood. I agree with one of your replies that maybe you should try to minimize the people you tell. I'm trying to do that myself now. The consequence to that is trying to act as "normal" as possible around the people who don't know. I'm overwhelmed with this idea, but I'm going to give it a try.