Every so often my Psychiatrist fixes her eyes on mine and says “you understand you have a very severe form of your disease, never underestimate just how serious your condition is”. I know this. I am the one who daily experiences the symptoms (dare I say all the symptoms, over a period of time?). I have Bipolar 1, rapid cycling. I have managed to stay out of the hospital for some years. But that does not obviate the harsh truth that I have gone through many years of deep suicidal depression, long-term memory loss and worsening short-term cognitive decline. I have had truly raving mad psychosis