Seems like this could be my story too, even down to the welbutrin treatment before discovery of the bipolar. ONly I was 45 when it all tumbled down. In hindsite I can see numerous times in my life I was obviously bipolar. I've made some pretty rash decisions in my life - not necessarily the bad decsion to make, often these were decisions I had otherwise not had the courage to make.

I hope it all comes together for you. I have certainly been a lot healthier. You will still cycle up and down but it will be less severe and certainly manageable.

When you ask about drinking I'm not sure if you mean by how much. Certainly I wouldn't do so regularly. I have a beer or glass of wine on the ocassional social outing. It wouldn't be wise to do so more than that.