hmm... interesting... DSM criteria states that a dx of a unipolar mood disorder (such as depression) is ruled out if the person has had even one episode of mania / hypomania.

what is interesting though is that often situational factors mean that someone isn't given a dx even though they meet dx criteria...

e.g., if someone meets dx criteria for a reading disorder (in that they can't read) then if people have tried to teach them (they have received sufficient instruction) then they get the dx of reading disorder... but if we find that nobody ever taught them how (they have never received sufficient instruction) then they don't get the dx of reading disorder even though they meet criteria.

it seems that sometimes cause does matter... and sometimes external / social causes exclude certain dx's (like what happened in the reading case and it sounds like what happened in your case) and other times not (ie with post traumatic stress which is caused by objective trauma necessarily).

i'm glad that you have found some people to talk to... and that things are looking up medication wise...

:-)