I tell anyone and everyone I'm bipolar, mainly to Warn people who are around me that I have the potential to"snap" at a moments notice and without forewarning, so that they will know to stay clear of me if this happens until I can regain control of myself, HOPEFULLY before I say or do something I'll regret. I work REALLY HARD to maintain control of the manic episodes, but it never ends well when people don't know when to "respect the bubble" and give me my own space to calm down & get ahold of myself! I find it's better for all involved for them to know WHY it's so important for me to be left alone sometimes. For me, it's better that the people around me understand my situation than to get blindsided by it.