Welcome Ian. I hope you feel supported here. There's a great group of people here that are very helpful.
It's hard when you're first diagnosed. People don't get it. They don't understand and it makes it harder for you.
By all means, go see a therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical therapy can help a lot.
Be patient with finding the right prescriptions for you.
I was diagnosed in 2013, at the age of 59. I think now that I've been bipolar 2 all my life. I did a lot of damage. I had two divorces, a bankruptcy, and had 2 cars repossessed. Now I have absolutely no credit and I live on a small pension from the government. This is not how I planned my retirement. You're young and have your whole life ahead of you. Don't lose hope!
It took me a while to find the right medication combination. If the prescriptions don't work, tell your doctor. If you have bad side effects, tell your doctor. Abilify made me hypomanic so my doctor changed it to Risperdal.
One very important thing you can do is to educate yourself about bipolar disorder. There are very good books out there. For biographies, there are Patty Duke, Kay Redfield Jamison, and Carrie Fisher. I have bipolar 2 and I have Dr. Ronald Fieve's book, "Bipolar II" and "The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide" by David J. Miklowitz. There is also a thread on this forum where people suggest good books on bipolar.
I hope you get the help you need.