It took me years to accept it, my biggest issue was that my mom didn't believe I had bipolar and refused treatment after I was diagnosed at 16 and had a terrible reaction to Lamictal. I thought I could just manage it on my own... which was not the case. After seeking treatment at 22 after coming down off a year of perfect hypomania, I spent a couple years on and off meds (I hated taking them and I was trying to chase that hypomania). When I finally settled down and realized that I needed to move my life on, I started taking a meds regularly, sleeping normally and eating healthy my life finally became more ordered.

It is different for everyone... my bipolar diagnosis is not who I am as a person.