You can hang out wherever you are comfortable. You can do both if you like. There are forums here with other specific issues that you might find of interest too (relationships, coping with emotions etc.). If you haven't already found the list, just look at the top left of the page. Click on "Forums", and in the drop down you will see "Index". There are a lot of them!

Probably the best thought I have regarding your mother's perception is to recommend for you to keep a mood chart. There are quite a few out there or you can custom make your own. There are quite a few threads on the subject that you may find it useful to search. Anyhow, in charting you get a visual representation of what's going on for you. It's often hard to see a pattern in the midst of simply dealing with each day. Charting will give you a more encompassing picture. Give it time, but if no real spells show themselves, and every day is pretty all over the place and situational, it'd be a good indicator that it's very likely BPD. If there are waves and plateaus (of varying lengths and degrees, but that are more in terms of a number of days, weeks, months-- or even sometimes years-- that would point towards BP. Indeed, such a pattern would show cycling itself! (If it's there, that is(!))

Here is another thought on trying to find a mental health provider --the phone book. And not just the yellow pages. Even though there are a lot where I live, I was having a really hard time lining someone up initially (not having insurance was a big barrier). I'd already been dx'd by a Pdoc where I had moved from, there was no mystery or confusion on the dx, as I'm a pretty straight up case, lol. Anyhow, I chose a PMHNP. I totally lucked out. She's been a godsend.

Brain fart! I just remembered you have insurance. They of course have the whole "in network" thing... so you'll want to consult their list (you probably already have, just covering all bases). Sometimes they'll cover others, but maybe at a different rate or something. That'd be worth looking into too, seeing how it's so limited where you are. I think some of them are more lenient in that regard when there are few providers in the area. Hmmm... phone book still might come in handy. Personally, I've not always found the internet terribly useful in regards to providers (or smaller local companies or independents either). I'm a total research hound, so internet's great, but certainly not exhaustive when it comes to options.

(Good God that's long! Sorry!)