They don't always put you in the hospital when you are diagnosed, but in your case I would say your pdoc needs to just to keep you safe from yourself at this point. There are plenty of other meds out there besides depakote that work wonders for many people. I took depakote and seroquel at one point and felt like a zombie. I have found that lamictal combined with Abilify works wonders for me. I feel great and am not going up and down as I have in the past. Talk with your pdoc about your concerns with depakote and about being hospitalized.