Yes, definitely. In addition to that, I had no idea that severe mood swings were not normal! Growing up in a household with a bipolar parent in denial then surrounding myself with other people with mood disorders and or drug addictions will do that I guess! I could recognize when people were really "screwed up" but, I never thought of myself as THAT bad. Sure, I had multiple episodes of depression but, bipolar? That's crazy!

I still struggle with that and now, it is struggling with "Okay, I'll accept bipolar 2 sure, no I don't get manic..." I down play symptoms at the doctors and according to observations of friends and family, I get REALLY manic. And the stories I could tell? Yes, maybe...

Then I argue with myself. I am able to keep a job, finished university, hold steady relationships, not addicted to drugs and my credit card debt is less than 2500. I've never allowed myself to be admitted to a psychiatric ward not that it hasn't come up...bipolar 1 is serious, I'm not serious!

My husband has bipolar 1, he isn't so bad either though he's been in the hospital...Heck, I used to think his manic episodes were normal!

Oh well, I take my drugs for the most part!

To answer your treatment question: Yes, bipolar depression is treated differently than unipolar depression. Mood stabilizers are used as the standard with bipolar.