Experiences with bipolar/cyclothymia misdiagnosis before an ADHD diagnosis

Hi everyone!

A few months ago, one of my psychiatric reports mentioned "bipolar traits." More recently, I brought up the possibility of cyclothymia with my therapist, but she wasn't able to reach a clear conclusion.

I recently posted about my experience here, and many people related to what I described, especially the feeling of constantly "resetting." However, one particular comment really caught my attention:

"So that sounds a bit more like ADHD maybe? Lots of focus on new stuff then struggling to maintain motivation. And then particularly feeling shame and guilt about that."

That comment really resonated with me because it described something I've experienced for years. I tend to have bursts of energy where I become deeply absorbed in a new interest. These periods can last for weeks, and then I often end up feeling depressed and completely drained afterward. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether what I interpreted as "mood cycling" could actually be hyperfocus followed by burnout.

Of course, I know that this alone doesn't mean I have ADHD. But after reading that comment, I started reflecting on my life, and a few patterns stood out:

\* I've been very forgetful since childhood, although I've developed lots of routines to compensate.
\* My attention depends almost entirely on my level of interest.
\* I can hyperfocus on topics that fascinate me for weeks.
\* On the other hand, I struggle enormously to start tasks that don't interest me, even when they're very important to me. They often feel overwhelming.
\* I frequently read several pages of a book only to realize I didn't absorb any of it. The same thing happens with movies and TV shows. I suddenly realize I have no idea what happened during the last several minutes, even though I've been looking at the screen the whole time.
\* My mind is constantly busy, and my thoughts jump rapidly from one idea to another.
\* I just finished my university semester with good grades, but I feel completely exhausted, like I didn't really succeed. I just survived.

Has anyone else here first been told they had bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, or "bipolar traits", and later found out they actually had ADHD (or both)? If so:

\* What led to the change in diagnosis?
\* What differences did your psychiatrist notice?
\* Looking back, what signs pointed more toward ADHD than bipolar disorder?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.