I feel that at first, people have the impression of me being intelligent, but then I appear less intelligent with time, when people are around me long enough to see how I am in an episode. In other words, when I'm in an episode (usually mixed, manic, or hypo), my concentration isn't there at all....I'm so bad at directions and miss all the important things I should remember.

I have to ask people to repeat questions a lot and feel that I'm in my own little world at times, in my imagination. I don't like others perceiving me as "ditzy," but I think I give off that impression sometimes, when really I'm just stuck in my thoughts. So it might not make me necessarily less intelligent, but definitely less "with it" and focused. Sometimes others are very impatient with me as a result, and it's frustrating. I hate feeling the need to always apologize for my limitations too....it embarrasses me.