I hope that they are getting better. In Australia there has been a huge media campaign so both patients and doctors can both recognise BP as a possibility. Despite this, after seeing one of these ads on tv, I asked my doctor for a referral and it took him a year to give me one, all the while he was pumping me with drugs that didn't work. I should have left and gone elsewhere, but I was too sick to do much of anything.... (In total I was 7 years misdiagnosed as MDD- admittedly BPII is more difficult to pick than the mania you described with BPI) My friend, who new me back then and is now a ED doctor can not believe that no one picked it back then.... (including her!!!!)