I know someone that was treated for bipolar one at 18. However she is med resistant. She has been on so many meds and still her manic is terrible. I was not treated early because I didn’t know anything was wrong until I had a surgery. Then I started having severe classic symptoms. I received treatment and a correct diagnoses after getting worse then a second opinion. I started the correct meds. I always got weight gain as a side effect and low energy. I feel tired a lot. Zoloft gave me regular diarrhea I’m tapering off it now. It’s up to you if you want to see how dark/exciting the non-medicated side is. I’ve been full blown manic and it was no fun. I spent months manic because I stupid DO provider thought I was depressed and put me on a antidepressant with no mood stabilizer. It flipped me into mania. Some people are not able to get help ASAP because they didn’t know they were sick. Prob sick as youths and parents just thought it was a phase. That’s what I think my mom thought. Not to mention stigma.