Three women in my life have had Bipolar disorder. Growing up we had a close family friend that took me into her confidence at 14 to ask me questions about God because I was the most knowledgeable friend in her life that wouldn't think she was crazy and disown her for her thoughts and how she acted. For many years her fight to keep from committing suicide was also my fight to help her wanting to live. 6 years she made it till I missed a few weeks of visiting her to encourage her. That ended with her taking her life and though I know it wasn't my fault I also know that it likely wouldn't have happened if I'd not been too busy to visit her.

When I was 20 I had a GF that had serious mental issues that included bipolar. I tried to do everything I could do to "fix" her. But there wasn't anything I could do. It went very very sour and ended with me spending the night in a "safe house" (like the ones for battered women) fearing for my life and the lives of my family and friends. There is a lot more to the story but I'll say that much to not belabor it.

Finally my first wife, ten years we were married. I didn't find out till after we were married that her father had bipolar and would periodically throw his life away going from 250k jobs to living on the street. I never would have suspected her of anything like that till she just flipped out and has been swinging back and forth ever since.

I know that for everyone with bipolar disorder that you meet, you've met one person with bipolar. You can't make judgments beyond that. Each person's challenges are individual to them. If you have bipolar disorder I do not envy you your plight, but nor do I condemn you. If you need someone to talk to, someone just to listen, I don't mind being a sounding board.
~Eddie