It's funny that you post this because I feel like I might have some form of bipolar disorder, but my doctors are reluctant to agree. A couple of my friends who have loved ones with Bipolar 1 do not agree, because I'm not running away to a commune or marching through my house with a shotgun. I get that. I'm not that extreme.

But I don't think I blew through 3/4 of my savings this summer -- which was supposed to go to moving out of my parents' and moving in with my boyfriend -- because I was depressed, as my therapist believes. On the contrary, when I get depressed, I do not want to spend money, because I don't care or I feel too guilty.

A few weeks ago, I checked my savings account to find that there was 500 less than I thought, and that I'd transferred it back in July. Couldn't remember doing it for two days. When I finally remembered doing it, I still couldn't (and can't) remember what I did with it.

But I'm not doing anything "crazy," or screaming and throwing things, or acting in ways similar to those I mentioned above, and yet I experience swings. My low swings are more noticeable, because I'm way less fun to be around. And when I'm agitated I'm simply labeled as a huge *****. So there's that.

Then mix in my prior substance abuse, which I think got blamed for a lot of things it shouldn't have been blamed for (of course there were the things it was obviously to blame for). You have one confusing mess of comorbidity.

Like I said, I'm not sure if I have some form of bipolar, but I do have some elements of it, my doctors do agree with me there. As for intensity of suffering vs. presentation, I think that's where the line starts to get blurry. They always base diagnoses on how something is interfering with your life, from alcoholism to mental illness.

I practice a ton of self-restraint because of how I grew up. I was basically scared into behaving myself. At the same time, I'm like a time bomb.

So I agree with you. I do think that many people can get away without a label. But I don't think it's a good thing. I'd rather know what's going on with me and get properly treated for it than continue down an uncertain road.

I really feel like I've babbled here, so I apologize if I have.