Accept it. Love it, please. Mental illness learn to talk about it. It is hidden now in little corners. Bring them into the light and learn to love this part of our human nature. I need to do this too since I have a bipolar illness combined with paranoia. This is a little story about how I ended up writing this in a hospital bed to learn to love this illness. I rarely talk about it. I feel it is important to communicate my experience so that others may learn. It is filled with advice so you do not have to repeat the mistakes I have learned. Some of the advice includes: Take stress leave when you need it Never make any important decisions when you are Manic. Listen to your family and trusted friends. Make sure they have a list of the signs and symptoms of the illness. Tell them if you think you need help. Listen to your heart. When you are on lithium, you can only lose a pound a week. Exercise, especially thrilling exercise helps with depression. Learn to let go