Am I bipolar or is bipolar me?

We talked today about whether or not it is correct to say "I am bipolar."  Those who advocate against it say you would never say "I'm cancer."  However, others of us feel that being bipolar/having bipolar disorder does change who you are, informs who you are, and is a part of you.  Others see it as separate from themselves.  Something that happens to them, as opposed to being them.

There is no right answer.  For me, I am bipolar.  It describes so much of who I am and what my life is about right now.  And it's not a fun place to play.  It's probably healthier to say "I am suffering from bipolar disorder, "  and maybe someday I'll get there.  For now I am the disease and the disease is me.

As you may see, I've added a poll to the blog to see how folks are affected by bipolar disorder.  (Or are bipolar. . .)   Why?  Why not.  I got to play with the "add a poll" function on the blog.  And I so rarely get to play with anything.  Because I'm bipolar.