You can have 150 different doctors, and they will all say the same thing: If you've had even ONE hypomanic or manic episode in your whole life, you have bipolar disorder. Pure and simple, that's all there is to it.

I know how tempting it is to deny this diagnosis. None of us asked for it, none of us would have chosen it, but we have it. The trick is to not let IT have US. And the longer it takes to accept it, the longer it will take to get on top of it and show it who's boss.

Your doctors are right about your diagnosis. Listen to them. It's OK, you have plenty of company including many, many accomplished artists, politicians, and humanitarians.