I think it's possible to be high-functioning and still view yourself as a victim of circumstances. I alternate between being extraordinarily high-functioning and pretty much nonfunctional and absolutely consider myself to be a victim of circumstances. Everyone with Bipolar is, by definition, a victim of it because it is something that causes them to suffer (if someone with Bipolar doesn't suffer from it, then I'm happy for them). I view it the same way I view being raped. I was a victim of it, but it doesn't make me weak. Acknowledging that you are the victim of something doesn't mean that you're bitter or self-pitying. It means you admit that something bad has happened to you. I'm fairly certain that you aren't implying that viewing yourself as a victim a weakness, but I wanted to make it clear that it isn't.