Anti-depressants have made me feel worse. My new therapist doesn't know me well enough to know for sure if I am bipolar or if my mood is only due to emotional problems. We know I have emotional problems (childhood abuse and adult PTSD), but bipolar is still suspected. There are several just in my immediate family with bipolar. I've experienced hypomania, racing thoughts, and mixed states, but never straightforward mania.

Have you ever found out if you had a bipolar depression after failed trials of various antidepressants and/or other treatments? How do you know if you have bipolar and emotional problems (like borderline/CTPSD traits) or just the emotional problems?

I've already read up on this enough already, and it seems like mood change frequency is the most distinguishable factor. Even then, it seems like the same medications are prescribed for emotional problems as they are for Bipolar.

I also posted about trying medications to try in the medication forum, I guess I'm asking for opinions and experiences here about bipolar vs. emotional problems. I could probably qualify for a Bipolar II diagnosis, but I'm only interested in experiences of those who were diagnosed with Bipolar I. When it's not so cut and dry, do you just try treatment for Bipolar, and if it helps significantly, get the additional diagnosis of bipolar?

Thank you for your feedback.