Hello.
I'm 18 and was diagnosed with Bipolar II when I was 17. It took nearly 6 months before I got my final diagnosis. I suspected manic-depressive disorder some time before I requested hospitilisation (that is to say I said goodbye to all of my friends and was prepared to walk away forever, but luckily one of my peers stopped me and said that I should really stop avoiding my doctors and allow them to help me). Before those weeks of tests, I had never taken my doubts seriously. I nearly dropped out of school, but thanks to being a very good student all my life (when 'up' studying way ahead and when down being 'ill'), I got a second chance. Somehow I managed to study 6 months of material in 16 subjects all in 2 months and actually made it to the next grade (hypomania probably).
I'm currently off my medications, but starting to wonder where it'll take me.