I'm relating to everyone in this thread, it's awesome. But I never really felt the "mask" thing. Mask or not, you are who you are. There never is hiding behind a mask, in my eyes, because being behind a mask is just who you are. If you were any different there would be no mask. I personally recognize duality, however. Going from mania in the workplace, planting the seeds of friendship and comradery with my peers... to the depression and reclusion - anger and isolation from those with whom I, just the day before, rallied with. "What's wrong?", "Are you okay?"; These are questions nightmares are made of. How could one who cycles so casually between the poles of sentiment explain that this is just how things happen for me? What is wrong one day can be so meaningless the next, and totally inconsequential to those on the normal spectrum of cyclical emotion. These extremes in affectivity are so potently toxic in nature; can we really be expected to intentionally infect those who care for us the most? We are forced to sacrifice our abilities to be independent peoples in order to appease curious minds that don't even realize the depths of complexity that is mood disorders. But, this is life. What more is there to do but comply? In the end, we come out stronger - we challenge and overcome adversities daily - and they remain drudging through their naivety. We can only hope the sonnet of our atypical minds would be understood and embraced, for the good of this world and those whom will inherit it from us.