Sensing it in others?

The word bipolar has a general list of symptoms attached to it. The mood swings, anger, depression . . .

This week I met someone who mentioned he was bipolar. Because I didn't know him, I hadn't seen any symptoms. Later, I wondered about the severity of his disorder. I wanted to compare them, not to see who was better, who had more, etc, but as a learning exercise. My curiosity and desire for knowledge kicked in.

I wondered how he handled mood swings, did he have tricks to turn the darkness back to light, and what triggered them. And I wanted to know how easy--or difficult--telling others about the disorder was. Did he sense I would understand?

Just another question to add to the growing list . . .