It can be quite a thing to navigate our heads around sometimes.

I've found that there kind of is no sort of predictability to any of this.

We can swing high / low ... for short durations ... long durations ... some people can establish some kind of patterns and say their depression lasts "xyz", others not etc etc ...

I don't know about other so I speak for myself but I guess for me there hasn't really been any kind of "constant" when it comes to my bipolar ...

So yes I can totally get your statement when you say: "just accept this is how my life is going to be" ... cos let's face it we're likely to have this for some time to come ...

I guess it's about finding ways to help manage our symptoms when we do have them - figuring out what strategies help safeguard us when we're either manic or depressed - cos one thing I've found out is we're just so different when it comes to what works for us (some are a given; healthy eating; trying to maintain regular hours of sleep etc) but things like meds and that I guess we're so diverse.

I get this last year hasn't been that great for you and my wish for you is that as you move forward through this you are able to find mechanisms that serve in your best interests and enable your mental health to be the best that it can possibly be.