Many people are initially diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder prior to receiving a Bipolar Diagnosis. Especially if you only experience hypomania, it can be hard for a Doctor to determine whether you meet Bipolar criteria. Here is some information to help you sort through the two diagnoses.
Can you have both Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder?
No, you cannot have both Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Please see the bottom of pg. 136 of the DSM 5 https://media.mycme.com/documents/168/dsm-5_bipolar_and_related_diso_41789.pdf which says, "Despite the predominance of depression, once a hypomanic episode has occured, the diagnosis becomes bipolar II disorder and never reverts to major depressive disorder."
2. What might indicate I have Bipolar disorder rather than MDD?
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