I don't shy away from telling people that I'm bipolar, especially if these are people that regularly in my life. Letting the people at work know was incredibly helpful as they saw me on a consistent basis and could give me some feedback on mood swings and such. They also helped me learn how to manage my interactions with them.

The hardest part that I have in letting people know that I'm bipolar is when they start telling me what it is like and that they think they or a loved one is bipolar when they clearly have no idea, and it is completely insulting to me. I just want to scream and yell at them. Had that happen this summer with a cousin who was talking about her daughter and flippantly said that she was bipolar. When I suggested that it might be something else, I was dismissed for not knowing what I was talking about. Her daughter was 12 and on drugs as it turns out. (I was right.)

So, if you are willing to accept that other people will claim to know more than you do about your condition, it will be fine. Laugh it off, shake your head and mutter "Ignorant son-of-a-gun". Makes you feel a little better.