I wonder why I have to be in this group of patients who have presented with symptoms that appear to fit the theory of the bipolar spectrum disorders.

There seems to be a number of patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression, and other symptoms that don’t exactly fall within the DSM classifications. In most cases, the symptoms experienced by individuals like these are moreerratic and change over time. Both depression and anxiety symptoms are atypical and any present hypomania tends to be more
dysphoric than is strictly defined in the DSM.

Many patients with these characteristics have been previously prescribed anxiolytic medications or antidepressants by their general practitioner or psychiatrist. They often don’t have the desired response to these drugs, with some only experiencing partial relief and others actually regressing into more intense episodes of depression and/or hypomania.

All of these patients that seem to defy your typical bipolar diagnosis are lumped into a group that is known as “soft bipolars”.

There are a number of symptoms that can be attributed to soft bipolar disorder. These include the following: Episodes of Mood Instability, Episodes of Atypical Depression, Hypomania (often dysphoric), & Mixed Symptoms.

This group hasn't yet been officially defined within the DSM, its more of a concept. As such it has no clear management model. Awesome. That gives me confidence.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Treatment Guide with Symptoms and Diagnosis