People just don't get how crippling and life altering it can be. With my skills and intellect (no genius but relatively smart) I should have achieved so much more. Most around me just don't get why I haven't pulled it off. Generally I am blamed, rather than the illness. This leaves me judged unfairly by most people who are close to me, not to mention others who cross paths with me. I have also found that people with different more 'high functioning' versions of Bipolar especially judgemental. I am at this place in my life (age 42) where I am reassessing my path forwards. I simply cannot achieve what I or anyone else expects of me. Looking back my life has been a trainwreck with a few successes but many more failures. It is time for me to live a life with Bipolar that I can find satisfying. Screw what anyone else thinks.