I think you're spot on in that she chose to write only some, but not all of what she experienced. If that is indeed the case, I assume it's because she felt there was a line between what she could and couldn't get away with, given her profession. Or, she had a line she drew for herself alone. She emphasized in the book how stiff and reserved, for lack of better words, her upbringing was. Despite her poetic descriptions and attempt to share, I still sensed a reservedness or distance. I don't really hold that against her. Actually, I applaud her for doing her best to step beyond that, and of course her courage to publish what she did when she did.

I've watched a few of her lectures at universities on Youtube. I've also read most of her other books. She usually just reads out of her books and when she answers other types of questions beyond them, she does so as a professor of psychology and not as much a person with bipolar disorder type 1. There is mystery with her. I once wrote a letter to her asking deeper questions, but never ended up sending it. I sort of doubt I'd ever get a real response.

Of course there is part of me that is a bit jealous of her fame and success, while I have struggled much more and lost my career and friends. I know I've had even more challenges than her, at least in some ways.No one should ever feel jealous of the more incredible "bipolar success stories" that are often highlighted in places like bp Magazine. I'm not saying that everyone can't have success or great success, but success is something we have to look at in comparison to what we've been through, and how far we've come for ourselves. It's a matter of perception and self realization in ways that we value or must learn to value. A deeper type of message that I was looking for in Kay R-J's book is not so present, or at least seems cloudy to me.

If she has indeed only ever taken Lithium, I see her as being so incredibly "classic bipolar type 1" that she seems more unlike many of us, than like.I think what was considered "classic bipolar type 1" is not nearly as common as it was thought to be.

I feel similarly about most all movies and TV depictions of bipolar disorder. There's obviously a lot of misrepresentations in them, and everyone wants to see some major dramatic ending.

I'm not a fan of Silver Lining Playbook either, but I wouldn't mind a day smooching with Bradley Cooper. People laud that movie so much. I'll agree it was great for the box office (and Jennifer Lawrence's career), but not so great as a bipolar movie, in my view. When I've mentioned this in the past, I get some backlash. I don't really care. I think Bradley's depiction of mental illness was much more significant in A Star is Born. Of course I'd rather see success stories, than death, but I'd like to see another one that isn't so Hollywood trite as the one in Silver Linings.

I find extreme value in the sharing of feelings, struggles, successes, and more, on forums like this than in most of the bipolar memoirs I've read. For that, I thank everyone here.