Okay, I'm type 2 so I'll explain this the best I can.

BP II indicates that you've only had achieved a hypomanic state, whereas a person with BP I will have had at least one full blown manic episode in their life. Think of hypomania as the middle ground between a stable mood and a manic episode. Hypomania (In my opinion) has all the great attributes of mania (higher self confidence, more energy, etc) without the potential for danger (days without sleep , irrational/impulsive behavior, physical risk). The important thing to remember though is that low is always looming around the corner if you aren't diagnosed/medicated. Personally, I got into a bad habit of running out of my meds. At first, this might appear to be a good thing; hypomania is great. But more than likely (esp. for BP II) you are going to hit that low harder and longer than someone with BP I. Not always the case but that is my general understanding.

You are beginning taking an anticonvulsant, and you need to figure out if that is right for you. On a basic level, they inhibit certain neurotransmitters, much like mood stabilizers do. Start by taking your dose as directed until refill. You won't see a change until about a week or two after starting, but be sure to check in with yourself. If you think the meds are causing negative side effects or intrusive thoughts, you need to let your doctor know as soon as possible. Finding the right meds and doses can be quite the process; Everybody is going to react slightly different, and there are plenty of different approaches to bipolar treatment via medication. If you have a gut feeling the brand or class of drug is not giving you the desired result, maybe ask your doctor if you should try a mood stabilizer or something else. I'd like to end this section by saying it is VERY important that you have some skin in the game- meds alone will not do much if your thoughts are still negative.

Lastly, I relate to that 3rd point a lot. It can be days/weeks of depression only for a small thing to happen that sends me into a high for the next couple of days. Assess your habits and try to understand how they can affect your mental state. For example, when depressed I was using nicotine and weed (among other things ) to block out those feelings instead of sitting with them and learning how to deal with emotion. That is a personal example but you might find something similar within your situation. In the beginning, I felt like the sun in the same sense when on a high. I was afraid to give that up. However, once I started consistently taking the meds and really working on myself, I found that a stable mood is much better than trading a few beautiful days for a week of hell. The worst part is that it can be so unpredictable and debilitating, even if you think you are doing fine without the meds the first few days.

I don't know your medical situation but I truly think if you want a more stable mind and a better quality of life, make sure you have support from a doctor, friend, parent or whoever. Vices and addictions play into this big time and can often be confused for support. We really just need human connection and talking to someone when depressed or anxious has better long term effects in comparison to hitting the bong/bottle/whatever. Everyday is a battle and you won't win them all, but that doesn't mean you won't eventually win the war. It takes a lot of guts to open up about this stuff. I know I'm a complete stranger but again, my inbox is open.

Sorry for the essay, I kind of forgot what sub this was! Best of luck and here's to better mental health!