Hi everyone, newly diagnosed bipolar here

After years of perusing these forums, I had an hour long initial intake with a well-regarded psychiatrist yesterday who diagnosed me with bipolar disorder. Since it took a while to discuss my experiences, etc, we are meeting again today to discuss medication and treatment options.
I am at once relieved and shocked. Relieved, because this explains so much of my life especially the past few years of my twenties. Shocked, because in the years of perusing these forums, I never once thought I was bipolar; I had mostly looked and related to the borderline and anti-social forums.
Did you guys also have a different perception before your diagnosis?
I feel exhausted today. I have been regarded as "accomplished" throughout my past mostly because I've expended so much energy on "keeping a lid", as the psychiatrist put it, on my issues. My functioning has steadily declined the past two or three years, I wasn't surprised at all to read the average age of first diagnosis is 25. I keep thinking I could be so much farther if I didn't have to deal with this disorder, at all, and it makes me very bitter and incredibly depressed. Thank you guys for your comments in advance, I appreciate any support from my fellow "like minds" I look forward to being here and supporting you all in your struggles as well.

Hell, welcome to the forum!

I was a little perplexed by my diagnosis because I had never heard of my diagnosis. I thought I'd be diagnosed Schizophrenic and Bipolar. I saw Shizoaffective Disorder NOS (before it was changed to Bipolar type) and all, "what the heck is that?!"

My diagnosis is pretty much Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder, as far as I understand. I experience psychotic disorders while not manic. If I only experienced them while manic, I'd be Bipolar Type II with psychotic features.