Thanks everyone for your feedback!

I agree, ideally I shouldn't need/look for 'validation' but it's difficult considering my past...after getting myself into so many Dr offices for phantom or totally made up stuff, sometimes I don't believe that anything is actually 'wrong' with me, and the only place I have to look for reference are the people who are around me most. Also, I see a lot of people here writing about how so and so was concerned for them - I don't have this experience. I get things instead like "maybe you have a learning disability" (mother), or "seems like your mood depends on how work went that day" (everyone) etc.

On a similar note, because I was actually treated for things I faked as a child (including crutches twice and a cast on my wrist), I also tend not to trust doctors that much...(they also, I might add, often come across to me as either not really that intelligent or just absent-minded/after $ - especially when they start rattling off the wikipedia description of bipolar in their attempts to 'explain' my own feelings to me).

I will definitely look into meds more thoroughly, and in the meantime really appreciate all of your input