I do think that people conflate BPD with manic symptoms of BP. Nothing annoys me more than to be on a bipolar site and have everyone nod in agreement that their rageful, violent behavior happens because they have bipolar disorder, and as a result, friends and family just have to accept it as part of their illness. I literally scream at my computer, "this is where stigma gets born and accepting this behavior makes my life very hard because I'm lumped in with you."

I've had bipolar 1 disorder with psychosis for 40 years. I have been so psychotic and so wildly manic at times I needed to be hospitalized for 2 months. Never, in all my manic episodes, have I ever acted violently or with rage toward another person. I know many people with BP1 for whom this is true as well. Yet, we are wrapped up in this violent, rageful package and it's ruining our relationships and careers.

We have to educate the people in our lives that all the stories they've heard about angry, vengeful, violent people with bipolar disorder is false. That is not our illness. Then describe straight from the DSM V what exactly our illnesses are. First we have to stop the disinformation.