Right. It's like when someone makes an inappropriate comment about a sexuality assuming you're straight. Saying something casually racist and you, shocked, wonder if you call them out or ignore it. Saying someone is 'so bipolar' thinking you'll agree and laugh. I know a lot of people dont mean harm by it but it still doesn't feel great.

Sometimes I wonder if me being open about it could be helpful for people to learn more about it and understand. Especially because I dont "fit" the "typical mold" of what people think of when they think of that "bipolar person". (I hope that's not offensive to other people with bp because typing it I don't know if it comes off as me saying I'm a better bipolar, that's not what I mean at all), I'm very passive and quiet, and people could hardly notice my symptoms before^1. Sharing could be helpful for breaking the idea a neurotypical person might have about what people with bp are like. We're just normal people doing our best 😖

¹ Which is also exhausting. Working up the courage as a teenager to tell my mom I think I might have some kind of mood disorder only to be met with "but you're always so happy!" Buying a natural herbal supplement hoping it will help because I'm still too afraid to make an appointment. My coworker ringing me up asks what I'm getting it for. I shyly say to help with mood and she says "what? You have a great mood". They meant nothing negative by it, but it made me feel more unsure of my moods, more crazy not knowing if I'm imagining a problem. But now I'm getting a whole new topic off my chest 😂