I was kind of "loosely" diagnosed in my teens by my school, but really I was formally diagnosed when I went to a psychiatrist in my early twenties. That is when I first received appropriate treatment. It's been about ten years now, I think. I was pretty convinced I had Bipolar prior to being diagnosed. However, when the psychiatrist confirmed my diagnosis, it did help with acceptance since it made me feel less alone knowing it is treatable, although most of us must go through the symptoms that sort of "leak through" the medications...some of us more than others. Since I'm not symptom-free by any means, there are days I struggle with acceptance still. However, you gain more insight as time goes on and you learn more about your diagnosis. Reading helps too, and I've also read An Unquiet Mind. The more you learn about your diagnosis, work on getting the meds right, and figure out which coping skills help, the greater the chance that acceptance will get easier. *hugs*