Those of us who have bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses are often haunted by things like, “Have you taken your meds?” or “Do you think that because you are doing crazy things you should be admitted into the hospital?” or “Should you be doing that in your state?” or “Don’t think you can do that because with your illness it is impossible.” I think you get the idea and probably have a lot more to add.
Yes- These things bother me and most likely a lot of you. However, at the same time, and you will probably not like this: Just because you have bipolar disorder doesn’t give you the right to do things without consequences.
What I mean by that is this: If you are manic and have bad judgement or hurt someone because you are more free in what you say or do, does not mean you get a pass. Yes- Some of your loved ones will forgive you and some may even chalk it up to you having a mental illness and accept you. However, this does not mean you should take this chance. Another thing to consider is that you could have embarrassed them. Please point out to them that you are the one who did the things that embarrassed them and although they could be embarrassed, they should explain to the others that you have a mental illness. By doing this, it can open up the eyes of so many people who are ignorant when it comes to severe mental illness.
Do everything you can not to get manic so that you don’t do things you regret. If you do do things when you are manic, remember that it is important to apologize. Even if you know the loved one has forgiven you and will forgive you the next time too, they will not forget. They will also not forget that you apologized. This will help them remember that you are doing everything in your power to stay healthy and do know that you remember doing those things and appreciate them forgiving you.
Yes- Bipolar disorder can be blamed for having a hard time in life. It can pose many challenges. It can also be the cause of a lot of heartache, lost friendships, and a lot of sleepless nights reflecting on the things you have done. However, please don’t accept a free pass when you do something while you are sick. There are things you can do to avoid doing things you regret and definitely do things afterwards when you have hurt others or done embarrassing things.
Bipolar Bandit (Michelle Clark) 
I wholeheartedly agree. I have been given passes when I didn’t deserve them, and not been given passes when I did. Some people will assume that every time you disagree with them or their behavior, it is your disorder acting out. No, it’s my personality that is rifled by your actions or words that anyone would consider inappropriate, not just a bipolar someone.
Thank you for another well-written article.