I am with you AK32. It was only after deciding to see a pdoc that I became aware of all the years ago that I should have been diagnosed. The ensuing years could have been so much better than they were.
Still tweaking the med.'s, but oh I can see such a difference in myself.
I can't speak to recovery. This is my own personal opinion and will be different than others' opinions. I don't see it as recovery, i.e. like from a broken bone or curable disease. I see it as maintaining some form of normalcy in myself. It is a lifelong disease and requires maintenance, but a much better life can be achieved. Some of us struggle much more to maintain a better state of being that others.
It has only been after med.'s that I see what a mess I previously was.
Continue to work with your medical providers.
And, welcome to DS.

Welcome, I have bipolar 2 also. For me the medications make all the difference also. Finding the right combination of meds can take some time, but I feel so much better. I have other issues and by having the bipolar under control, it allows me to work on them.

I accepted my diagnosis of BPI as soon as I got it. It explained so much in my life but then my loony family set the pace. It's been a lot of struggle and a lot of joy. That's life.

HI and Welcome AK32... You've found a good and supportive site here..
I was aware of my diagnosis before hand as well.. Seeing a psychiatrist would be a great first step for you.. They'll work with you on treating symptoms and if you need to be on meds they'll start to work with you on that as well.

It's great you're educating yourself on the disorder...
I think important steps include acceptance and working with your psych to start to find stability.. It's nice that you already have a therapist..
It is a treatable disorder.. Sometimes it take a while to find what will work for you so have some patience..xo

welcome I am BP 2 also . trick is to get the proper DX and work on the meds to help you.

Thank u all for your replies. I really appreciate hearing your experiences. I do have a psyche... But havent really gotten a formal diagnosis yet cuz my docs are leaving for three weeks. He did just put me on mood stabilizers, but it will take a few weeks to titrate up to therapeutic dose, and with some of my support system out of town and a new possible diagnosis, i am very nervous about how to manage this in their absence. Any suggestions u have would be greatly appreciated

Sometimes they leave someone on call??.. You could check and see..
This is a good place to come for support and to vent how you're feeling..x

Welcome to the group. Thing to know Bipolar Disorder of any type is not a "recoverable" disorder it's a disease that has to be managed for most people in some form for life. It's a lifestyle change. With meds, therapy, lifestyle changes any or all of these in some combination it can be managed and you can be stable, but it's not something you can recover from and it will go away....just doesn't work like that.....would be nice if it did.

Kat