ah, yeah I should have mentioned I have been seeing a therapist, and have been on lamictal (200mg) but I've been feeling like it's not really doing anything--my moods were already getting back to normal just around when I started the lamictal. it's just been really frustrating that 1.) my pdoc and therapist are tending to focus on the present and not asking much about the past--when there's a lot there that is still causing issues for me and 2.) that everything I say something along the lines of perhaps i'm there's something other than bipolar the reaction has been like that's a very bipolar thing to say. the more my therapist has been asking if there are previous episode of hypomania in the past we can't find one that really is. and if the one that i'm being diagnosed by was also a time to bad friends, way too much alcohol, way too much, and such...it just really makes me wonder if it's right that I got a diagnosis of bipolar after one, maybe two sessions (this was not quite a year ago that I was diagnosed). my cousin, however, took many visits to be diagnosed, I know everybody is different. also, my initial visit with my first pdoc, that diagnosed me, I had said "i think i had a manic episode" and the pdoc just went with that...I feel like the possibility that it's in the range of normal for a 21 year old should be considered. thank you all for the support and letting me vent!