Question: I am 45 years old and have a high paying job in a select industry that i am able to do well in harsh isolated conditions in the offshore construction industry. I know that i have always had a different train of thought to my peers and this helps me in my job. I have been told in a joking way for many years that not many people think in the same way as i do when it comes to problem solving as i can focus on details others often overlook. I recently got told by a professional therapist that i am certainly on the spectrum of displaying symptoms of a highly functioning highly intelligent person with asperges. I do not fully understand the importance of the diagnosis and thought very little of it until i mentioned it to a few close friends. They claimed to have known this for quite some time but were reluctant to mention it to me. I went to seek another opinion from a higher qualified professional, this did not go as well as i was hoping as they said that i was also showing symptoms of being bipolar. Are these two conditions linked in a way so as to display similar signs to each other. I ticked nearly all of the boxes in the asperges side and i do have most of the symptoms of being mildly biploar. This is a personality trait i have always had, it hasnt appeared recently. I have been told that medication is necessary for me to relieve the extremes of the mood swings and other symptoms to bring me more onto an even plane emotionally. I see the benefit in this but I dont want to become numb and zombie like with my thought patterns as this will affect my work ability. What else can i do or what mild medications are available for me to suggest to my doctor so i dont get prescribed something too strong for me?