hi. there's...a different way of looking at psych treatment...think less of labels/diagnosis, and more of symptoms/problems. what's ailing you, basically...

Bipolar II mostly exists for billing purposes. it kinda sorta helps guide treatment, but....not all the time. if you've been unstable because of an antidepressant, my 1st guess would be: avoid that drug. my 2nd guess would be: identify what problems you have and get to researching. i have looping thoughts and also get somewhat tired, so an 'activating' (my psych's word, not mine) ssri (read: Prozac, standard dosage) is working just fine, although I do kinda feel flat and medicated, at times. :-( happens.

one thing...the more Rx in the mix, the less predictable things get. :-( sad, but true. 2nd thing...got 2 psychiatrists, get 3 opinions. if possible, i think its important to think outside the dsm/icd labels and identify what you need out of treatment, and run that against what the pills can actually provide.

and...sadly, data quality tends to be poor in psych research (thank you, cochrane review). seroquel is classic for moody, anxious bipolar ii people, but my psych now says she uses rexulti with good results and fewer metabolic problems...

but she wants me on vraylar, because it has 'better anti-manic effects' or something. blah. which reminds me...when necessary, politely and tactfully exercise veto power. it is your body, after all. im still on abilify. :-)