What I think is very interesting about the debate about the sudden overdiagnosis of BP is how historically underdiagnosed and hard to diagnose it has been.

Here's something interesting about BP that I just learned: Bipolar II and Rapid Cycling were first included as subtypes of BP in the DSM IV -- published in 1994. That wasn't too long ago.

Major Depressive Disorder used to be included as a type of BP, until the DSM III was published in 1980, and only since then had it been classified as a separate condition -- also, really not too long ago, when you think about it. That was just 2 years before I was born.

Bipolar disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -- See "History"

I wonder...how many here think BPD is mistaken for Rapid Cycling?