yes, i'm glad to know now... because when i didn't know what was wrong with me before, i didn't know that some of the ways that i thought i "was" were actually symptoms that could be managed. i'm not bipolar, i have bipolar disorder, and i can manage it with my meds (lamictal), not abusing substances, eating well, exercising, and maintaining a pretty regular routine. i don't mind doing all of these things, because they keep me feeling a lot better than i felt when i didn't manage any of it because i didn't know something was wrong.