This is the first article I've seen to mention hope, perspective, personal responsibility, self-advocacy, education, and support.

Taking medication as instructed turns the patient into his or her own individual laboratory. It's a hard thing to accept, but they have to do it. Did this medication elicit that side effect or mood, will a change in dosage do this or that? Manually calibrating an imbalanced brain is a life's work.

Great information for people with bipolar disorder and their families. It takes a lot of work to live with this disorder, but for people who can manage it all, there's still potential for a good life.