I don't really know if it is or if it isn't. But that question is exactly why it took me so long to seek any kind of help. I actually didn't even know what it was until a few years ago.

When I was 19 I took a psychological test which was written (primarily) and took about 2 hours. It was actually kind of an accident because I was taking a psychology class at the time and they were paying people to take it so that the doctorate students could get "real world experience" before they graduated.

After the exam the lead professor called me into his office and told me that I showed very strong indicators of "manic depression". At the time I literally had NO idea what it was and when he gave me the paper of three psychiatrists to call later that week I threw it away. Not really taking his suggestion seriously... at all.

It wasn't until about 5 years later that I started to believe him. About the same time I linked "manic depression" with this new "bipolar" word that people kept talking so much about.