I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder about a year ago.  It has been difficult.  I had post pardum depression with all three of my children and it worsend with each one.  At first this is what I attributed the bipolar to.  As I began to reflect on my life I began to realize that I have always been bipolar.  I had a lot of depression as a child due to sexual abuse and as a teenager I had a lot of mania.  Willing to do dangerous and impulsive things.  I had all of the symptoms to bipolar when I went to see the psychitrist last year.   I was so angry at first.  I know how people on the outside look at mental illness.  There is only the extreme ,  and what we do not understand we fear.  Then there were family members.  you know the ones that want to blame every reaction that they did not like on bipolar.  You get upset for a legitament reason and they swear its the bipolar.  Things are better and have gotten much better over the last year,  but it is still upsetting on the days you wake up and know that something is not right and you have to say to yourself  " oh yeah,  I have bipolar disorder."   I just wish everyday was the same.