Lately, I am super sensitive to people's reactions when I first tell them I have Bipolar. I even had a doctor (not a psychiatrist) who barely knows me at all, on first meeting say...."Really? You have Bipolar Disorder? I wouldn't have known." How would she know?...she has not taken the time to hear my experiences. Then, I've had new friends who I decide to reveal my diagnosis to (since they've revealed personal stuff to me), and they will act so surprised.....saying, "Are you sure you have Bipolar?" Just because they expect me to have a short fuse or happy one second, mad at them the next second since this is what they seem to think it means to have Bipolar.

I realize that many people do not know or understand Bipolar Disorder, but sometimes their comments make me feel bad. I'm left feeling like I wish I did not tell anyone and wish people wouldn't judge a book by its cover. You never really know what someone has gone through, and BP has been hell over the years. I struggle on the inside, even though meds often make me seem "okay" on the outside. Maybe it's my fault for opening up to some people too soon....or maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive about this. I think the reason this all triggers me is because when I was younger, my problems were dismissed by family, and I was basically told to snap out of it.

Can anyone relate? Just had to let this out.