Unobscured freedom?

I have type 2 bipolar disorder. This means that I am subject to at times thoughts and moods that have nothing to do with the external, and everything to do with warped brain chemistry. It also means that at any given moment my behaviour is governed not by how I feel, but by how I "should" feel. It means that every interaction I have with those who are not aware of my situation takes place on multiple levels, that thoughts and opinions expressed by others often offend or annoy, even without any malice intended.

I have no other reference for my situation: this is how I have always been, and it often feels like I am trapped within a prison of prior interactions and expectations based on a person that I am not much like at all. Freedom then would mean shedding this false persona, wearing my own internal struggles on my sleeve and letting the chips fall where they may. But if I am honest, while the cause of my situation is unique to a degree the manifestation is not. Everyone must feel trapped to some extent: by their environment, by their responsibilities, by their own reputations. Unable to respond or act as they wish because of the shackles placed on them by any number of things, such as race or sexuality or religion.

So perhaps freedom is simply finding ways to still be true to who you perceive as the real version of yourself, and making sure that the truth of who you are is never completely obscured by whatever particular burdens you carry.—JC, university student