I am open about it although I don't share a ton of details with anyone. My mom and sister usually know if I'm mid-episode (my mom lives next door so she really always knows and probably tells my sister if I'm totally honest) but they don't always understand everything. Like nobody understood that about the only reason they'll keep you in IP over Christmas is because you are very suicidal. And I don't talk about that part with anyone because they don't get it. But everyone on my facebook knows; however I keep my facebook limited to people who I don't mind knowing. I tried doing facebook more traditionally and it didn't work because there were people who knew and those who didn't and people I hadn't seen in 20 years got gossipy and I just shut down and started over with a list of people I trusted. Even so nobody knows I've been severely manic lately. They may know I've not been sleeping, that's about it.

My 4 year old niece is starting to notice something is different about me than other adults and so talking to my sister about starting to discuss that a little is on my agenda. I want it to just be a totally natural, something they've always known, thing for my nieces.