hi johnnygaga
i am sorry you have struggled so much without support. i think the answers to your questions involve just plain ignorance when it comes to mental illness, the stigma involved. people just arent educated when it comes to bipolar. they think anybody who goes from happy to angry is bipolar regardless of the situation. i get so tired of hearing that. i think bipolar is the most overused term of people who have no clue what it even is. they just want a place to blame/explain someone. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome