I understand where you are coming from, most of my friends and some family find it really hard to believe/out right don't believe I have bipolar because they've never seen me hypomanic, and with depression I could always hide it. I have spent months suicidal and no one noticed the full extent, likewise I've been really hypomanic or psychotic and while people seem a bit alarmed they don't suspect anything. It's great on one hand as although most of the time it's really hard to hold everything together, I've managed to avoid a hospital, on the other hand it also means most people think it's really mild and I'm overreacting/saying I have bipolar for attention.
I hope you are okay, and that the ward isn't too bad.