Ah, yes.....a lot of people make that mistake (go into their first psychiatrist visit and tell the doc what they think they have). I did it too. Mine just asked, "Whatever in the world makes you think you're bipolar?" I proceeded for the next 90 minutes to tell him, and he still wasn't convinced so he gave me a provisional diagnosis of BP-NOS and depression, started me on Lamictal just in case, and told me to call him if things changed.

At the next visit, I was still pretty depressed but getting a little better, but at the third appointment he took one look at me and asked "Wow, are we manic today or what?" I remember wearing a bright printed dress and blue eyeshadow to that visit, and I was pretty much dancing on the moon. That was the first time anyone had ever referred to me with that terminology, but of course it wasn't to be the last.

That was when the depression dx went away, and eventually we narrowed it down to my current BP 1. I am glad he took his time about reaching a definitive diagnosis---it took 15 months, but at least he didn't jump to conclusions, nor was he in a hurry to tag me with such a serious-sounding label.

Bottom line, you don't really WANT a doctor to diagnose you with a serious mental illness based on what he learns in a two-hour visit. Besides, if you do have one, you're going to spend a significant amount of time on his couch (at least in the early going) and that's when the analyzing and evaluating are going to happen---not on the initial visit.

Just my $0.02 worth.