Recommendations for bipolar treatment in Seattle and greater Seattle area

what kind of tendencies?

The usual not leaving bed for days and then hitting the gym for a few weeks early in the morning. Not eating well (read junk food and Cheetos, chips) and then flipping that to salads daily. No speaking to anyone for days etc.etc.

Google for Dr Brett Yamane

Wait for a sunny day

Move to the bay area, you need some sunshine!

The best way to approach mental healthcare is a 3-pronged strategy. 1) Build strong, stable habits that are maintained through mood fluctuations. It can be difficult and you already brought up that you aren’t always consistent (it’s a battle). Try to change that by either getting a workout/hobby buddy for accountability. Or attend a weekly / bi-weekly gathering that don’t offer daily options (think sports league game day, church, meditation group/temple). 2) Go to a therapist that is purely for talk and not for prescriptions. You want to focus your time with this professional on ways to improve your habits, new ways to reconcile childhood stuff, and new ways to understand your own moods and how they affect you (learning warning signs, techniques for acute symptoms, techniques for long-term mood stabilization). 3) Go to a psychiatrist for medication. I prefer to every 6 months, but you might want more frequent to start with. Psychiatrists are often much less interested in the talk therapy stuff, so I just view them as a clinical prescriber and nothing more. As an ending note, a diagnosis of anything will more than likely have no effect on your life. Only treatment will positively impact your life.