I was diagnosed after a period of lots and lots of travel, self medicating with drugs and alcohol, and tons of stress in my marriage. Eventually I just couldn't level out, I think I was in this never ending mixed state. Hilariously, I was watching homeland, I had never given much thought to bipolar, and there was this depiction of Claire Danes going up, working through the night and listening to jazz and being like I'm feeling great, and then this massive crash, and I was like 'I have that!'...

That said, thinking back on my life, I could come to understand lots of the changes and bends in the road as functions of bipolar. I don't actually remember my childhood, by I had an absolutely awful time in school, I think about it everyday, it was miserable.

Anyhow, not sure, but I guess I think I've had it for a long long time. I am afraid for my daughter!