I just posted a long answer in the thread about what is hard about bipolar, so I wanted to balance it with a thread about things that are good.

I think we hold a secret kind of knowledge, knowledge of extreme states and intensity. Passion beyond what most people ever feel. Moments of wonderful insight and creativity. I think in a lot of ways bipolar has made me more fully alive, and more keenly aware of my existential state. It's kind of ironic that I believe that an illness which has made me suicidal so many times, has also allowed me to see and experience life more fully.

I am extremely sensitive and intuitive because of my experiences. This makes it so I can connect easily with people who are suffering, and I am not afraid of other people's extreme states of consciousness. This helps me in my work as a nurse in psychiatry. I would have been compassionate anyway, but I have extra insight when helping others because I have also experienced extreme states.

I like the description in the Icarus Project books about bipolar as a dangerous gift. I like the image of being able to fly, but sometimes flying too close to the sun. This illness has taken a lot away from me, and I struggle with the symptoms and accepting myself all the time. But it has also given me some amazing experiences.