Welcome!
It’s hardgoing to be a newbie to bipolar. It’s trial and error to find the right treatment plan. And we’re all so different.
As someone who’s experienced a prolonged ‘treatment resistant’ manic episode or two, I understand why doctors do what they can to eliminate manic episodes. Valproic Acid (aka Depakote) is a mood stabiliser especially good with the mixed/suicidal and depressive moods. I take it in addition to Lithium (which helps the manic side of things of things)