I am one of those people who was diagnosed quickly upon my very first appointment. With that said, it doesn't mean I suffered any less than anyone else with this diagnosis.

As far as I can see I have had bipolar behavior since at least adolescense if not childhood. I have gone my entire adult life either up high in the clouds over the next great idea, or down in the gutter when my brain chemistry gives out and goes the other way. I have left more than 50 jobs, been divorced, was a single mother, moved more times than I can count, never had a lasting adult friendship aside from one friend who I have known since middle school, gotten remarried and almost divorced again...the list goes on.

My first p-nurse frightened me with such a quick diagnosis, and frankly, I didn't believe her, so I tossed the meds she gave me in a drawer and went on with my destruction. I went to a new therapist who I shared this info with and he said that it would be worth exploring, so I got a p-doc. He wasn't adequate. I went to the hospital inpatient twice and a partial program in between. Now I have a new p-doc. The point I am trying to make is that just because my first p-nurse got it right doesn't mean she diagnosed me with the latest psych fad. As of now, I have, between the first p-nurse and everyone else I have seen this year, 8 opinions that all agree that I have bipolar.

Now, I am still trying to find the right treatment for myself, and we are still trying to find out if there are other conditions along with bipolar, but between my life history, and my family history, there is no question that I have bipolar at the very least.

I understand that you may be frustrated with how slowly the diagnosis came for you. Everyone presents differently. Also if you went seeking help long ago, there were strict criteria in which you had to fit in order to be diagnosed. Now, psych professionals are beginning to discover that there is a bipolar spectrum and not everyone fits the classic bipolar patterns and criteria. This may account for some of the quick diagnoses out there lately. Of course all this info could change again and some of the people diagnosed on the spectrum may have their diagnoses yanked out from under them and sent back to square one in finding out what is wrong.

I am sorry your journey has been so difficult, but please, don't assume that everyone hasn't suffered as greatly as you have. If they haven't suffered greatly before their diagnoses, we should be happy that modern psychiatry is catching up to what the human mind is capable of.

We should all hope that fewer people will suffer in the future.

*steps off soap box*

ETA: I just read your response to PS's post. It makes sense and clarifies your first post on this thread. Thank you for being clear. I hope I didn't come across as judgemental toward you. I didn't mean to be. I just had a knee-jerk reaction to the tone you put across in your first post. Still, I feel my points are important.