I was misdiagnosed for over 30 yrs. so, yes, you can be treated for "plain" or unipolar depression & really be bipolar. I spent most of my time in deep depressions & was treated with every kind of anti-depressant (or so it seemed) & they would make me feel GREAT (hypo manic but didn't realize what it was at the time--just thought the AD's were working). The doc had to keep giving me higher doses cuz they would poop out after 6 weeks or so, then he would change me to a different one when the dose reached the highest possible. I was going to a GP. I'd HIGHLY recommend going to a psychiatrist. That's how I was finally diagnosed & my mother was bp, too. The GP should have taken that into consideration & sent me to a specialist, because bp runs in families very strongly.

I was put on Lithium which worked great for my mood, but I had the bad side effect of impaired kidney funtion (one of the things they check for in the blood test). I also had hair loss, weight gain, sleepiness and some memory problems & "foggy" thinking. Had to get off it due to the kidney thing, but it was great for my mood. I know many people who have been on it for years & had no negative side effects.

Ask you doc about alcohol use. I don't remember him saying anything about it. It might say something on the insert that comes with your prescription. If Lithium turns out to not be right for you, there are many alternatives that work great. Unfortunately, there is a lot of trial & error to finding the right meds. Take care.--Suzy P.S. Take a list of questions in when you see your doc. I always do or I forget something I was concerned about.