Hi I'm Bailey! I'm 20 years old and have known I was bipolar since I was five years old. My mother is bipolar, though she was diagnosed only shortly before I was, and my family has a long history of mental illness. When I was 18, I finally found a point of being sane enough where I don't need treatment at all as long as I'm in control. There's only been two or three times bad enough to seek help, and never have I needed to return to medication. I nanny for a living, which helps ease my symptoms as I have someone else to focus on. I currently care for a toddler I adore, but know my contract is nearing its end which makes me nervous. My current employer is aware of my bipolar, but was not at the time I was hired. I seem to have a lot of stress and worry in my life for awhile now, all caused by events or drama, though I try to nip it before it gets to me emotionally.

I've always been wary of seeking out other people with bipolar, as it seemed most I met in the past would not practice self control and blame everything on being mentally ill. At the point I'm at in my life, bipolar and its treatment are no longer a defining trait of how I live. I've been dating a man for around 2 years now who suffers from severe undiagnosed anxiety, and refuses to seek treatment. It's been a heavy burden on my mental health as well, so I feel I need somewhere to be able to talk about what I need and am going through without the influence of what he does. I'm never going to force him to seek help, though I've let him know that I will not stand idly by and let him blame his illness for what is said between us.

I really hope I find the community I've been looking for.