I was in outpatient group therapy for 7 weeks in May & June 2011. At that time I discussed with my ex pdoc whether I might have bp2 or not. (It was my idea - not his). The therapy group was made up of people with major depressive disorder (my dx at the time) and people with bp. I related to what some of the people with bp were saying. He put me on lithium and nothing changed, from my perspective, so after 8 months, I quit taking it. I decided I probably didn't have bp, because the lithium did nothing for me.
Shortly after I quit taking lithium in early 2012 my pdoc moved home to India and for 15 months I had no pdoc. (No pdocs in town were able to take new patients - we have a doctor shortage).
I found a new pdoc this year, and I asked that my files from my old pdoc would be transferred to him.
So I saw the new pdoc, and after 3 visits, he told me that I have bp2. I wondered why he said that. On my last visit 2 weeks ago, I asked him how he arrived at that dx. Did he just read my old chart and see that lithium was prescribed? He replied that it was from what I told him myself, and from his personal observation. He said that he never received my old chart.
So at first I dx myself. Then 2 -1/2 years later it was confirmed by an official dx from a pdoc.