Hi all,

I’ve been wondering what other people misunderstood prior to getting a diagnosis. What do you wish you had known then? What surprised you?

• I didn’t realize how common it is for people to not get diagnosed until middle age. 

• I didn’t know mixed episodes were a thing.

• I thought manic people were always psychotic, delusional or wildly euphoric. I didn’t realize that actually, many bipolar people are quite self-aware during episodes, and that mania can manifest in other ways.

• I had no idea it does actual brain-damage, and that untreated, it often gets worse over time. I figured all that out when it went unrecognized and untreated until my episodes got more Intense and more frequent.

What about you?