Hi, Juliana,

We would like it if our diagnoses could be as cut and dried as, say, cancer or some other disease that has a visible basis. Mental health diagnosis, for the most part, and bipolar in particular is simply not that way. Many doctors won't even tell you a diagnosis because it is a working theory, not a medical fact. The truth is that the way we present can change radically over time. With bipolar in particular, sometimes the only way to make a firm diagnosis is to see how the patient reacts to the various drugs that are used for treatment.

It can be frustrating, but that's just the way many docs do it. For you, you should find one that does thigs on a more cut and dried basis. Just don't be frustrated if they get it wrong the first time.

Good luck in your treatment...I hope that you get better soon!

DJ