Hello nokcomputer: I see this is your first post. So... the Skeezyks welcomes you to PsychCentral!

Well... I've never actually been given a diagnosis, although I've seen a number of psychiatrists & therapists over the years. Like you, there is little doubt about my depression. However, for me, generalized anxiety is actually a bigger problem nowadays than is depression.

A few years ago now, when I was hospitalized the psychiatrist who treated me thought that I might be Bipolar. But that was just her take on my situation based on what occasional contact she had with me over the course a couple of weeks. In the end, the only difference it made was that she put me on Abilify rather than another SNRI. (It didn't seem to make any difference.)

Personally, I wouldn't think that your raising the possibility of being Bipolar would cause whatever mental health professional you're seeing to label you as attention-seeking. You raise an interesting point regarding your past experiences. The question, in my mind, would be whether or not it would really make any difference in terms of the treatment you would receive. In my case it did not. But perhaps you would have a different experience. From my perspective, it's worth mentioning; if for no other reason than because it is on your mind. Good luck!