I was diagnosed in 2021 but, looking back, it was clear that I first started experiencing symptoms in 2019. I actually remember thinking at the time, "If this isn't bipolar disorder, I don't know what is."

In 2021, I was in therapy after an abrupt, unexpected, departure of an abusive situation and was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night so my counselor referred me to a pdoc for sleep meds (I now can see I was experiencing other manic symptoms at that time too). That pdoc prescribed me a few meds, including prozac, which triggered a mixed episode. That pdoc wondered if I had bipolar disorder, but wasn't sure when she prescribed the prozac and I was actually the one who went to her saying I think I have bipolar disorder. Outside of GAD by my therapist, I wasn't given any other diagnoses in this process.

The pdoc who prescribed me prozac was not good at her jobs so starting meds was an absolute nightmare. On top of me being super sensitive to meds, she would change more than one thing at a time so I never know what was causing my side effects. Three years later, and a new pdoc who is WAY better, I have a med combo that has been working for awhile (I think less than a year though).