Anyone else feel so alone in real life with bipolar?

I've had it for over a decade and it hurts when I have to explain my illness in elementary speech to almost everyone around me. They don't know even the basic words - what mania, depression, agitation, or bipolar really mean. They're goodhearted friends and really do care and want to know how I'm doing, but I can't talk to them about how I'm truly doing because they can't fathom the complexity of bipolar. When they ask, "How are you?" I have to simplify everything down to what feels like child speech. I certainly can't tell them the full reality and what I'm scared of and what dangerous thoughts I've been having or whatever else.

Their own experience with mental illness is like, "I think I have anxiety," and "I had postpartum depression for 6 months." That's absolutely valid! I'm not saying that's nothing. But it's nothing compared to what bipolar has been like. So when I talk to them about mental illness, it's usually about them and I pat their head (figuratively) and listen to them talking, murmuring understanding words and helping them feeling validated - because I've experienced so much more than that and can understand with them.

So my only outlet for talking to someone about my bipolar without having to explain all of that is my therapist.

Does anyone else feel like this? Alone in having such a severe illness? You understand other people's smaller experience but no one comes close to understanding yours?