When I was first diagnosed, I went through pages and pages of info on bipolar disorder. It really did become an obsession. I think mostly because I felt so powerless and wanted to understand what was wrong with me.

I had to tone it down, though, as the lines started to blur between what I was actually feeling and what I thought I should be doing/feeling based on my research. It was like I was becoming the bipolar character in a novel. I thought I had every symptom I read about, or that every personal story that I saw was my story.

I still read and research a lot about my diagnosis, but have learned to keep a bit of a distance. I am able to say "yes, I do that" or "nope, that doesn't sound like me." Also, as Tucson wrote, I am now more apt to DO something about my bipolar rather than wallow in it.