any referrals you could send would be greatly appreciated. i am a bipolar II with all too many signs pointing towards a diagnosis of add. at times, i severely question the diagnosis of manic-depression. my infrequent bouts of "hypomania" show their heads whenever i am presented with sudden, dramatic, and unexpected change--such as new job/moving to new apartment, etc. other than that, i had one hypomanic spell that was spurred by my being on clomipramine. however, my bouts of depression last longly throught the year. highlighted, they are, by a constant lack of energy, concentration, and most importantly, i've not a fruitful smidgeon of volition--in the arena of any goal-oriented activity.

here is a list of drugs i've taken in the past:

effexor
wellbutrin
imipramine
paxil
zoloft
clomipramine
risperdal
valium
seroquel
lamictal
lithium
klonopin
restoril
geodon
ambien
zyprexa

also, i took benthanechol and amantadine to combat the urinary-ish side-effects of the tri-cyclics. and as another side note: after copious amounts of reading and study, i took it upon myself to experiment with adderall. my old psychiatrist was convinced it'd send me manic; likewise, he'd never prescribe.

I'm afraid I can't recommend a psychiatrist in the Richmond area. But I just wanted to say that I had a similar problem as yours. I was also diagnosed as BP II -- after a Zoloft-triggered episode of mania (mild, maybe it was more like "elevated" hypomania). Before that I had a diagnosis of unipolar depression and anxiety. I was put on Lamictal. And although my therapist was quite confident I had ADD, my psychiatrist did not agree and would not let me near any stimulant medication. She thought it would trigger mania. Another reason for her reluctance was that I have addictive tendencies. Anyway, I decided to look for a second opinion. The new doctor -- who is far more experienced -- sees no reason for a bp diagnosis and believes I have ADD. I went off the Lamictal, with no adverse effects. And now I take Adderall (15 - 20 mg/daily, as needed). The effect has been amazing. I feel solid.

Anyway, this is just to say there are other people out there who are being misdiagnosed as bipolar and being kept away from stimulant medication that can really help them. You're doing the right thing by seeking another doctor who isn't "anti-stimulant."

Good luck!