Aw, 'locks, I'm sorry, I mean, I sure know the feeling of loss it is to finally embrace this idea that your psychiatric order sets you apart from a world you are still so enamoured of. But thats all i have in the pity party department I'm afraid. The reality is never as bad as the anticipation of it, and that's as true for this as anything else.

You may soon find that simply knowing affords you a measure of comfort and safety from your own condemnation of yourself. I know I used to get so frustrated and down on myself for what I imagined to be some horrible lack of character or plain fickleness.

The greatest gift has been to so learn the difference between how I feel and who I am. Lol, that seems to be my main theme in these posts, what can I say. It's just become so key to survival for me.

'locks, you will undoubtedly be offered a dizzying array of pills to address this. I'd like to pretend to a level of neutrality on this issue, but instead I'll simply say that my experience has lead me to become hesitant and suspicious about any drug. There isn't one that will likely put you back right, or solve the problem decisively. Instead, it seems that a struggle between self realization and medication is more real. You can't kid yourself that you're "fine" and you can't kid yourself that all you can do is take the meds either.

This is a good place to research meds and anecdotal experiences of many people. Just as good to comparee notes on all the other aspects of navigation through the morass that is the mental health world.

My guess is you'll like knowing you're bipolar more than not knowing. Glad you're here. Undoubtedly, we'll talk more.

peace