I don't think there's any "textbook" definition of bi-polar.....it was created by people who study these sorts of things but there are always nuances to every condition. They just needed to come up with something so they came to BP1 and BP2. The small variations in between or outside are where a lot of people (like me) probably sit. I can function well but I still have some stuff going on that isn't strictly defined by the textbook. My p-doc isn't sure if I have BP or some sort of personality disorder but I meet a lot of markers for all sorts of things.