Before I was diagnosed, I only went to doctors (mostly gps) when anxious or depressed. They spent little time asking questions. I was always prescribed an antidepressant, or buspirone. I'd take it for a few days to a week usually and then had a mood switch. There were never follow up visits scheduled.

Eventually when I did see my current gp (of 22 years) a few times for anxiety/depression, he referred me to a psychiatrist. I saw that psychiatrist a few times aline and about four times in a group therapy he led. He saw me growing manic. That was when I was officially diagnosed manic depressive/bipolar. I didn't even know what it was then, 15 years ago. I quit him on that day. I then saw him one last time a year later when in a severe mixed episode after hell broke loose. I was hospitalized the next day.

The psychiatrist at the hospital during my first hospitalization actually called the psychiatrist that referred/diagnosed me originally. My clear manic with mixed features behavior and confirmation from the private psychiatrist further solidified my bipolar diagnosis. IOP psychiatrists did, too. Psychologists also did. Another private psychiatrist did. That's at least 15 people, excluding social workers. Bipolar disorder type 1 is what I have.

Some psychologists and psychiatrists gave me very detailed and long psych evaluations. A couple even included physical exams and lots of blood work. I even had a CT, EKG, and PET scan when some of my symptoms were very extreme (catatonia). Others just saw my behavior during hospitalizations, or a combination of everything.