The world is a very very harsh and difficult place for people like us. We're 'high functioning' which means if we show a single lapse or one weakness that reveals our illness, We're instantly screwed. Our breakdowns aren't understood as mental illness, because we don't appear ill most of the time. We're just assholes. We just make bad choices. Nobody understands that we are not in control of our facilities most of the time. Nobody understands the fucking helplessness of not being able to control if you're manic or depressive in a day. Nobody understands that in the depressive state, we would literally rather die than get up and brush our teeth. Cleaning our dishes might as well be climbing Everest. It's not gonna happen. And then we appear so "GREAT" when manic until the mania overwhelms us and we look and sound like crackheads all the time and people think we're drugged out when we're not. And only ever being told we seem like we're doing 'well' or seem 'normal' when we're drunk and snorting coke? Jesus christ, that makes you just wanna be fucked up all the time because apparently when you're "fucked up" you're like everyone else. I can't tell you it gets better, because I haven't seen that yet. All I can tell you is that you're not alone, and myself and others are going through the same thing right now. Just don't give up, okay? Giving up means the normies win, and honestly? FUCK the normies.