Hi bpcylist. You may recall that I am married. Not sure if you'd prefer only hearing from single members. Speaking for myself, my husband is my greatest treasure and he says the same thing to me. Though I did not have an official dx when I met and even married my husband, my bipolar disorder was showing itself, frequently, back then. My husband did express concern and frustration, at times, but that didn't stop him from falling in love with me, and wanting to commit to our relationship. Many people do not run away when they see or hear about major illnesses, but of course, yes, some do.

bpcyclist, when I mostly think about you as a person, of course I recognize bipolar disorder as a significant part of your life experience. However, more than that, I think of you as having great passion for many things and as a man with incredible value. In your original post above, you asked that moderators not move your post because you feel we, on the bipolar forum, know you best. Though there are clear limitations to what we do know of each other, you are right that we know a lot, despite. I don't think of you as just "bipolar", I think of you as: passionate about the world's and country's well-being, serious kick-butt bicyclist, lover of nature, lover of Oregon, traveler of the world and country who has lived various places learning about different peoples, brownie baker, nature lover, dermatologist, loving father, caring human being, open-minded individual, teacher of many things, brownie baker, guitar fan, Bruce Willis look alike (Cool!), music fan, writer, survivor and fighter, mental health advocate, mental illness stigma fighter, and so so many other things. You rock!