I'm BP on meds. My two children, who live with me, are BP. My daughter is on meds, my son is not. My daughter, however, gets very upset when I'm having a hard time. She says I'm self-absorbed. I'm told to "grow a pair" or "suck it up." She's very dependent on me so maybe it scares her when I am having a hard time.

As for casual friends and the public, I don't keep it a secret. I want people to see that "regular" people can be bipolar and that Hollywood sometimes has it all wrong. In fact, I write a blog about my life. But, I'm older. It's different when your life is behind you. I don't have a future to protect.