I am the poster child for denial. I was diagnosed BP 23 years ago and took the meds until I felt better and then stopped. When I spiraled into depression, I went to another pdoc and answered the questions creatively and got a dx of depression with ADHD; two socially acceptable conditions. I was scared of saying bipolar to friends/family and terrified of it getting back to my employer. So I would get SSRIs and stimulants and get hypomanic (what a shock, right?). I could manage that much better than depression as far as work and home/family was concerned but I annoyed people. I would decide I was over the depression and that the meds were making me edgy and stop taking them. Before long I would spiral into depression again and start the cycle over. I don't know how many time I did this over the last 20 years.

Then not long ago my son started showing signs and my wife told his pdoc about my old diagnosis. I went with him one time and his pdoc kind of put me on the spot. After that I faced it and went to my current pdoc and got diagnosed again. BP 2, just like before. But this time I am not fighting it. I am getting better care and feel like an idiot for putting it off so long.