Sorry to hear about your BP1 diagnosis. I was diagnosed last year. What helped me once the diagnosis set in was to really document / acknowledge my moods and try to link them to situations that would trigger my behavior. It was definitely hard for me to accept what my moods were- before I had been moderately successful at accepting depression and pushing my emotions under the rug.

During that time- I've been able to stay strong by identifying my trigger points. Not all of them I'm successful handling (e.g., still need to figure out what to do when I don't feel like eating), but I have built up a pretty good support system with my family & friends to be able to handle it.

When I look back on the past year- I wish that I had held off on making some big decisions with intimate relationships and spending. Any big decisions- spending purchase, a mate- those are things where its natural to let it evolve and not rush into. Try to define for yourself early- what are some big decisions you might encounter- and how do you want to deal with them. Try to think of them before they come up- it'll create short-term panic but it may let you make a better decision for the long-term.

Keep posting and let us know how you're feeling!