Hmm. I must have missed something here bc it sounds like people here are arguing about totally different things. Of course stress can trigger or exacerbate a mood episode in someone with a history of mood disorders. I don't see where that idea was posited. But that doesn't mean it caused the disorder. One can be depressed and having crappy life stuff happen just makes it worse. But it is also possible that ones behavior or extreme mood state is a reasonable response to the circumstances. That is why grief after a loss is not a diagnosable llness. It doesn't mean that it doesn't Warrent help or that it cant turn into something else or trigger an episode in someone susceptible.

My point was more that depressive or manic symptoms and behaviors often do NOT match what is going on aRound them. You can have every single thing going great for you in life and yet still be depressed bc your brain cannot experience any joy at your good fortune. How is a depression in someone who has had a charmed life somehow a better gig or less valid than a depression in someone who has had a lot of bad luck in life? Pain is pain. For myself, when I realize that my reactions and emotions are lllogical rsponses to my external environment, it is big indicator that I am probably having symptoms. It becomes dicey when every emotion or mood state becomes attributed to disease. We are supposed to feel things strongly.

I feel like the OP was just asking how to differentiate between bipolar and normal reactions to life circumstances and people were giving their opinions. None of this is simple or clear cut. But arguing over semantics just doesn't seem useful to me. I could be way off base here and be reading into this wrong or reacting hypersensitively to this (contrary to what I would like to believe I am not always or even often right), and if that is the case then pleAse just ignore this. But for some reason reading people's responses to this thread has left me with a negative vibe. We are all here for the same reason which is to give and get support and share our own experiences. Anyhow, Take care everybody.