Are you accepting of your diagnosis?
I am now. At first I was convinced I was making it up and had tricked some poor psychiatrist into diagnosing me, but in reality, a team of psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists diagnosed me. Sometime around last year I accepted it because it was kind of obviously out of my control. It helped that I had a close friend who helped me make a list of my manic symptoms. I was manic, had not as good insight, and she was like "you do this and this and this" and I had to accept that if another person could see it, no matter how hard I tried to hide it, it was there.

How old were you when diagnosed?
24.

Current treatment choice/why?
Meds, supplements, and lifestyle choices.
Why? The more angles I can come at this, the better. I found meds alone don't work, supplements alone don't work, and lifestyle choices alone don't work. (For me, at least.) But combining them does.

Did your lifestyle change since being diagnosed?
I stopped drinking. I miss it.

Your opinion of meds vs alternate treatment?
Whatever works.

Level of education? did Bipolar affect your abilities?
I'm in my 3rd year of a 4 year Honours BA in Theatre and Film. Bipolar does affect my schooling, this is my 3rd year in 3rd year. The past two years I dropped out because I was hospitalized. I'm slowly working towards my degree, though. When I'm not dropping out, I've been able to maintain full time status.

Do you work, if so where?
I do not work, but I'm looking for a low-hour on campus job. My pdoc wants me to focus on finishing my degree though.

Family life? Who do you live with, how do you all cope with this disorder?
I live with a cat. She misses me when I'm in the hospital.

Do you feel your quality of life has been increased or decreased since experiencing Bipolar Disorder?
I don't think it's really changed. I think I've always been this way. It just helps to have a name for it.