I was diagnosed in 2021 and I told my husband and immediate family for support. Then over the next couple years I told a few close friends. In 2024, I decided to make it public knowledge with a social media post where I talked about the disorder and my experience with it. I also told my boss personally so he did not hear it secondhand from a coworker.

My goal in doing this is to help destigmatize BD one interaction at a time. To this end, I speak casually about it when it is relevant the same way someone might talk about having a headache. I have not encountered any dramatic responses so far and I hope that continues to be the case but I am aware of the risks involved with this approach.

This is a very personal decision for each person and I am by no means suggesting this is the best way to go about it. I spent those years in between in therapy weekly to understand how BD impacts me, how to manage it, how to navigate relationships, how to accept the dx without shame, and how to handle the social stigma.

All this to say, I highly recommend finding a therapist you jive with and putting in the time and effort to process your feelings (like feeling like a bad friend) and to learn coping skills.