Well, thanks everyone. No, to begin with, my friend and I aren't teens. I am very grateful for your responses. I was diagnosed over 32 years ago and have taken meds for bipolar for that long, with adjustments. I've had longterm stability, but for the past few months have been knocked for a loop -- or just maybe IN a loopySpin. No fun. I had been maintaining my Pmeds for the past couple of years with my internist and things had been fine (Warning: this is a shining reason NOT to do this -- I should've at least been seeing my psychiatrist once every four months or so). I had also dropped out of my group therapy (for PTSD/childhood sexual abuse issues) last year, so when I went into the tailspin, I was without a safety net. To top it off, I had let go of another very close longtime friend within the past 10 months.

I have found this online forum and another after I found this one. I finally got an appointment with a new psychologist (saw her for the first time last week) in a practice with psychiatrists (have an appt. with one in a couple of weeks and hope to start taking Lamictal and perhaps make some other changes...

Have lost my train of thought.