Newbie, you've got a lot on your plate at the moment. Give yourself a pat on the back for what you have accomplished: You've moved halfway around the world, you're employed, and you live indoors and eat on a regular basis. That's more than a lot of people can say, AND you've done it while 'mentally ill'.

It helps me to realize that Bipolar Disorder isn't a mental illness as much as it is a 'mood disorder', that it's genetic, that it's a result of brain chemistry, and none of it is my fault. Or yours. And now that you know what it IS, you can begin coping with it.