Hi agent...

Nice to meet you, but sorry to hear you're feeling so bad. If you're up for awhile and then down for awile, that bipolar. Your doctor is medicating you like you are bipolar. A lot of times they don't like to tell you a diagnosis, because they're liable to change it later, which can confuse people.

Many people are bipolar for years without knowing it, because they treat themselves with alcohol and street drugs. It's called self-medicating, and I am a veteran!

Just the recurrent depressive episodes are enough for many pdocs to diagnose BP2...you didn't explicitly describe any manic episodes, but you kind of imply it in your post.

I have found great help at my local NAMI chapter. Go to nami.org to see where the nearest chapter to you is. They are a great resource for support and education. It's not nearly so scary when you can talk to a bunch of other people who are like you.

Also, you should find a therapist...drugs help, but they work better in conjunction with therapy.

Good luck managing your condition...if you want, feel free to PM me if you need to talk.

DJ