Ryan, your post is a tad bit offensive. The people on this board have suffered greatly, and have come here in search of an accepting environment.

Bipolar is sometimes overdiagnosed. So is depression. So is chronic fatigue syndrome. So is breast cancer. I think you get my point.

Bipolar symptoms can be found in the general population. Many students function on limited sleep. Loads of people feel inadequate and cry about it. The difference between a mentally healthy person and a bipolar person is in both the degree and the co-occurrence of the symptoms.

How many healthy students pull 14 all-nighters (without naps) in a row? How many healthy discouraged people absolutely hate themselves for prolonged periods of time, and contemplate (or even attempt) suicide because everything about them and their lives seems so hopeless? Mania and depression are extreme states of mind.

Bipolar is a syndrome, which means that it is defined by a cluster of symptoms. You are not bipolar for simply yelling at your boss. You might be bipolar if you yell at your boss because you think your IQ is ten times higher than his, because you are the re-incarnation of Isaac Newton, which you know to be true because your daughter's physics textbook told you so (spoke to you) last night, which was the 5th night you've gone without sleep because the racing thoughts keep you awake.

Now, admittedly that is a bit of an extreme example, and many people (including me) have milder symptoms. But the symptoms are still more severe than what would be encountered in the general population, and they still occur in clusters.

And not all psychiatrists are in bed w/ big pharma. I'm bipolar and I'm only on 1 medication. I'm also a pre-med, pre-psychiatry student; I plan to provide therapy and compassion to my patients in addition to meds.