I would consider myself highly functioning, and I am very bipolar. I've had some rocky stretches, but I've held the same job as a teacher for four years now. I actually have tenure and might be headed toward a pension if I can hang on for another ten years. I will celebrate my 36th wedding anniversary with my wife this September. My children still love me, and i have a handful of friends. I own a moderate home in a beautiful town, and I drive a pretty nice car. I am in reasonably good health, although I have not exercised seriously in about a year. BP rears its ugly head periodically at work, where it manifests itself in my total inability to get along with others. Fortunately, I can withdraw and focus on the students whenever that happens. I am learning to recognize my own episodes when they happen and use appropriate coping strategies when necessary. The most important thing to my recovery, if you want to call it that, is my psychiatrist. He's brilliant, and he's kept me relatively stable for almost ten years. Knock on wood.