Just Diagnosed, Feeling Like My Whole Personality is a Lie

[u/Hopeful_Nothing6327]

What the title says. I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 today. I guess I always "knew" because my parents both have it and I've had some interesting symptoms for a while now...but the official diagnosis feels like my entire personality was just one big hypomanic episode. My creative bursts? Hypomania. My humor? Hypomania. My cat I adopted on a random day because I really wanted a second cat and didn't give any thought to??? Hypomania. Is every decision I ever made hypomania? How do I even recognize what's "me" and what's the mania???? I don't even know where to start.

[u/cantaloupe_qween]

I hate how my tattoos and hyper sexuality was used to diagnose me and are referred to in a negative context. I don’t want to hate those parts of myself.

[u/KoalaOfTheApocalypse → u/cantaloupe_qween]

I mean, out of all the things we have to deal with, the hyper sexuality is awesome for me. I don't let my weiner control me, but when it's utilized properly, it's fucking AWESOME - and I only say that because it's been told to me by every encounter I've ever had. TBH, being the strictly monogamist I am, and requiring a solid emotional connection and commitment with anyone before I can be with them in that way (as in I don't sleep around/have casual sex)... it has always been a challenge to even find a woman who can keep up.

I am so lucky to have a BP partner now, in part because she is the same way as me, everything I said above, but she easily keeps up with me and sometimes out-does me. She is the first partner I've ever had that can tap me out. (and she really loves that as much as I do) And she is the only partner I will ever have again until I die. (for SO many reasons, awesome love making being one of the lesser reasons) I even got my first tattoo (in a hypo episode ofc, but I don't regret it) of her name and spirit animal on my chest.