Antidepressants without a mood stabilizer can definitely trigger mania, so that may have very well played a part in it. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees with bipolar disorder. You may get manic again. The key is to be prepared for that and have safety nets in place to catch you as you shoot to the stars.

Being newly diagnosed, you are probably still learning about how bipolar disorder looks for you. What your triggers may be, what signs you get when you're beginning to get sick, etc. Write these things down. Talk to your boyfriend about them and let him know what to watch for. Keep track of your moods and see if there is a pattern. Then when you're just beginning to ramp up (or slide down), you and your boyfriend can recognize it as a sign that something needs attention before things spiral out of control.

It's sort of like managing diabetes (to refer to an often-used but over-simplified example) - a diabetic will know what the warning signs are of an impending diabetic crisis. They may feel shaky or dizzy or lightheaded, for example. Then they can take the appropriate action (eat or give themselves insulin) before they wind up in a crisis situation. The same can be done with bipolar. But be wary of being hypervigilant. You are still entitled to your normal range of moods and just because you're laughing hysterically at a movie does not mean you're getting manic. Now, if you've only slept 5 hours in the last two days and you're finding everything hysterical...that may be cause for concern.

Despite the statistics, people with bipolar can have very successful relationships. It may take more patience and effort at times, but the benefits are worth it.