Stuff them. Keep pushing, you have nothing to be embarrrassed about.

On the Lithium, still hold that in the back of your mind because I have found that different psychiatrists give me different Bipolar dx's, ie I or II and that can affect their overall dx and the medications that can be on offer for you. As you alluded to, Lithium helps reduce the highs and I am also on Lamictal, which helps with the lows - and also heaps of other meds. Even gettting the mania for only a day or two can have you rapid cycling and then of course the terrible and dangerous Major Bipolar Depressions.

Just on SSRI's, I am only of those Beepers for whom SSRI's are contraindicated. They shot me up into hypomania and mania again and again over many years and then escalated the whole cycle including mixed states and rapid cycling and the terrible depression - endless. After 6 years of this (and not knowing I was being mis-medicated) I tried to take my life and nearly died (I survived just by a whisker).

I'm not syaing SSRI's are contraindicated for you, they are an integral part of many Beepers meds mixes, but it's just something useful to know, if you do end up seeing them escalting you into hypomania an d mania.