This is all very helpful. Thank you all for posting. Its intriguing to learn that these symptoms can also be caused by imbalanced adrenals/thyroid. One of my friends suggested that it could be caused by thyroid problems a few weeks ago. I'm going to get the tests done here in Spain, but first I have to make sure I'm insured in the US. As soon as I find something out I'll post it.

In response to the first reply, I'm posting here because I want to talk to people I don't know about a puzzling experience that for years has appeared to be related to bipolar spectrum disorder. I haven't had very many productive conversations about the illness with my family or friends. Similar to what Micah said about nobody listening to her, in my experience some people can be quick to doubt the following if they don't trust your ability to think rationally or act predictably, among many other things: the veracity of your claims (Are you "up"/"down" again?), the accuracy of your descriptions ("Are you exaggerating/omitting something?"/"Are you sure that's how you're feeling?"/"Did you forget that XYZ might also contribute?"), the probability of having received an inaccurate/incomplete diagnosis ("Dr. So-and-So is very reputable. I doubt he'd get it wrong. Psychiatrists don't hand out diagnosis like candy bars. You have a problem, just like your father. We've all witnessed it for years. That's proof enough"), among others. These kinds of people are also quick to mention that bipolar disorder can encompass a WIDE range of secondary physical/cognitive problems in comorbidity with the illness. Bipolar looks like a lot of other problems, and its understandable that it can be misdiagnosed. And hey, for all we know, maybe bipolar shifts into other/no problems in the absence of stressors, making it appear to be misdiagnosed. It sounds like science fiction, but I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up on the front page of a newspaper.

The above should help to illustrate why eliciting casual advice from (helpful) strangers on the internet seemed like a good idea. For one, I write anonymously. This removes some possibility of association bias. Secondly, I have the option to luxurious and languidly edit my reply, giving me the ability to articulate information in the clearest way I possibly can, stating facts and experiences, not thoughts/fantasies/emotions, which are subjective and yet which often arise in my physical, in-the-moment conversations about difficult life experiences. Thirdly, explaining feelings in an objective context is seldom productive: I might, for instance, say that I feel "angry, remorseful, frustrated and helpless to change my life situation using conventional methods". What does that mean? Well, given the same lack of association that grants me some freedom from bias, a stranger might think any number of things, including "those are classic depression symptoms", which would cause my thread to degenerate into a discussion about how to interpret my subjective experiences. In reality, even a healthy person who is stuck in some form of catch-22 is more than likely to feel some or all of the above for a short time. I doubt the emotional impact of any number of ordinary situations (such as not being able to pay my rent on time this month due to a bank error), is a sign of chemical instability. But nobody could know why I felt those feelings if they didn't have all the information. I'm the only one who does, so that's why I spare everyone from emotional replies on an analytical thread. But, maybe you guys don't mind. I'm trying to be courteous.

Every one of my four siblings is similar to me in this respect, I should also add - body type, these kinds of quirks, insomnia, attention problems. My brother received a diagnosis for ADHD and depression at 16 (my parents thought he was making it up). We're all very emotionally sensitive, a lot of us have high intelligence and some of us have highly retentive memories, musical ability or an uncanny social "knack" for reading people (I call it uncanny because that's what other people tell us). We all do great in school. We're all also very introspective. I should also add that I've told this story to any number of doctors and friends, with surprising results. In one case, I described my everyday life to a doctor in a bipolar support group. He said, with a very pleased expression, that I probably had achieved so much success because I was so introspective, and that people with the illness who are introspective have higher success rates. If so, that's great! :-p Another doctor told me I might have been misdiagnosed. I didn't believe him, because its always been a great comfort to have a name for whatever it is that's bothering me. I searched for ways to describe it to my psychiatrist eight years ago, researching borderline, bipolar, schizophrenia, and ocd. I wanted to be prepared with helpful descriptions so I could have the right answer. I read symptoms that sounded like my problem. I knew my father was mentally ill, and my parents thought I also "had problems". When I described my feelings to my doctor I described them as sleeping problems with high mental activity and periods of low mental activity, social shyness and suicidal ideation (this would be better explained with a lengthy catharsis on what it feels like, as a teenager, to be abused and ignored by people who are supposed to love you. I'm not all that bothered by it currently, though I've noticed that I still don't like being touched by men I don't know. I understand it now, and I've forgiven them). He told me right than, without hesitation, that I had bipolar disorder. I was, at the time, immensely relieved to have some form of new information to investigate and apply towards feeling better. Who wouldn't be? Yet now, as I'm writing I'm uncomfortably hot and thirsty after taking a short nap, feel tired and yet hyper and yet still feel like the same person internally. Everyone else in the house is obviously cold, because they're all wearing sweaters. I'm astounded that my doctor could have omitted a thyroid test, if that's the case. I have the feeling is going to take some time to figure this one out, yet there is hope. I'm certainly not the only person to feel this way.

Curiously enough, leaving home did the most help, and even more so when I left abroad. All my social connections entered a sort of suspended state due to the high cost of communicating abroad, and I left all the places that reminded me of the last eight years. I have achieved even more happiness, not the stress-induced bipolar disorder disaster my doctor suggested as a dangerous possibility. The curious part is that even when I don't feel good the way I always haven't, I still feel really happy. Why would I be sad? Life is wonderful now, for many reasons. When things are good, I feel great. When they're bad, its not great, but at least I have a new project to work on. This contradiction has left me mulling over the whole situation for months, which is why I posted here. I posted to get information that others might have learned, to share mutual experiences and support in the absence of clarity from the medical community in my city in the US.

I greatly appreciate everyone's input. Thank you for the information. I'll keep you updated.