@MickeyCheeky, you are right, we go to such groups to feel better, not worse. I don't socialize much and was taking a big step for me to reach out and go to that group, so it is maybe a bigger disappointment for me than it might be for other people, since I don't see that I have so many options to meet people and get support. Thank you for offering your support here. It helps.

@sarahsweets Thanks for sharing your experience in AA as an agnostic. How do you envision your HP? So much about any 12 step program is about the relationship to each person's HP. Although I am culturally Jewish, I am not religious so agnostic is a good describer.

@BirdDancer, I agree and I am sorry you had this experience in Adult School. Bipolar has a tremendous stigma. The difference with mental illness is that it is hidden, unlike skin color or weight or other ways that people are judged. Of course there are other factors where people can hide their identity, like religion or sexuality. I felt this woman was saying that the mentally ill are not really hidden among us because we can figure out who is and who isn't by how these other people interact socially.

You are also right that one person can ruin the experience of participating in the group.