[mumblemumble]

Perhaps I misused the word chronic. It certainly doesn't always have to be lifelong.

But, even if it's not lifelong, it still is. One's identity is constantly changing. Suggesting that a part of a person's identity doesn't really count as much because that part of them might change a few years down the line is an act of erasure. It's a microaggresion directed at the person they are right here and right now. People who experience mood disorders are already swimming in a sea of social stigma; we could really use a little bit less rejection, well-intentioned or otherwise.