I got my bipolar diagnosis after I had an intense mixed episode over last Christmas. At the time, it was very important to me that my diagnosis be Bipolar 2 and my care providers agreed.

However, I looked over the diagnostic criteria again and I’m starting to second-guess this. The main reason being that my mixed episode was severe enough for hospitalization. The diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 specifically says that a manic episode is one that’s severe enough to warrant hospitalization and a hypo-manic episode is not. (I’m getting my masters degree in counseling psychology).

Beforehand, I thought mine was less severe because I self-hospitalized and therefore was still lucid enough to make that decision. I’m not so sure now and I wonder if I’m actually type 1. 

At the same time, I think bipolar is too complex to limit to two types (3 if you include cyclothymia).

What do y’all think?