Being diagnosed with a disorder as mysterious and stigmatized as bipolar can be scary and even devastating.

I was psychotic the day I was diagnosed. I was in the hospital, and I never saw the psychiatrist again. I didn’t have the capacity to really let the words sink in.

It was after I got home that I realized the impact of my diagnosis.

This year, I am actually well enough to put something worthwhile into Mental Health Awareness Month.

At this time last year, I was coming off of severe episodes of depression and mania after having to leave my Master’s program (more on that in a future article).

I was just starting a new job, and I was unsure of myself and what the future would hold.

How would you explain bipolar to someone in 20 seconds?

I often avoid the topic because I don’t know how I would explain it to people.

I often feel rushed when I’m in conversation, and I don’t want to take up too much of someone’s time.

So what happens when, in conversation, you want or have to bring up that you live with bipolar disorder?