So sorry to hear that you struggled for such a long time. I think, in a sense, I was "lucky" that my symptoms fit so well into Bipolar 1, and I've responded well to medications. I've also been lucky that I haven't had any serious side effects with my medications. I think the support groups also helped make me comfortable with my diagnosis. I've spoken to dozens of people who's symptoms closely align with mine. Glad to hear that you're on a good path towards wellness.

I was reading an interview with Sinead O'Connor recently. It wasn't clear if Bipolar Disorder was the problem, or if she suffered from PTSD. This might be a situation where having a dual diagnosis made things more difficult to understand and treat.