I have always been diagnosed as clinical depression for the last 18 years. I have been asked questions before from pdocs related to bipolar. They always ask me if I do crazy, impulsive things. I never have.
I am a control freak. I didn't have an alcoholic beverage until last year (age35). I have never been drunk or done anything illegal. I think the control freak part of me made it much harder to diagnosis the bipolar.
My current pdoc was suspicious I had bipolar 2, but I kept trying to convince her otherwise. I didn't want to believe it. Honestly, I have had increasingly worse cycling for at least two years, maybe longer. I only started seeing my therapist in February. She totally sees through me and calls me on any games. I see her at least once a week. She is the one who saw me fully manic and recommended the hospitalization. So while fully accepting the diagnosis is new, the behaviors (cycling) I have come to realize are at least a couple of years in the making.