I have to say that I do think of my bipolar partly as a physical illness. It may be streching it a bit, but the more I think about it, the more I see those sides of it. I am an occupational therapist, and have worked both with MI and physical illness/handicapped people. So I see some similarities there. The highs end up being draining and exhausting, while the depressions are debilitating. Can hardly move for exhaustion and lethargy when depressed. Especially neurological illnesses have those symptoms, and then it is considered physical handicap. Lots of overlapping symptoms.