I hate the idea of being called "mentally ill", especially when the medical authorities and the police continually refer to me in this way.

I am not mentally ill. It doesn't necessarily define who I am. I have a mental illness but that's not all I am. Along with Bipolar, I have Aspergers, which for taxing and finanicial departments puts me in the group of "disabled". However, I don't like being referred to as disabled; I have a disability but that doesn't define who I am.