Hi clj2,

Your predicament sounds very similar to what I have been experiencing.

For years I have had similar mood swings, going from feeling down or blue to angry and irritable to depressed then back to being normal or stable then buoyant and positive to elated and hyper.

What you are going through sounds like 'rapid cycling' where moods frequently change or 'cycle' in no particular order and in a non-predictable manner.

I have been diagnosed with rapid cycling bi-polar disorder. You say you doubt it is bi-polar because you don't have manic episodes? What about the hyper feelings you have? I have never had a manic episode but instead suffer from hypomanic episodes which are not as extreme as mania but feel more like hyperactivity. Maybe this is what you are experiencing?

I wanted to see a psychologist to get to the bottom of my mood swings but was instead referred by my doctor to a psychiatrist. Bi-polar is treatable with mood stabilization drugs therefore a psychiatrist would be your initial port of call.

I am from the UK and understand healthcare works differently in the US, best thing you can do is get an assessment from a mental health care professional to get a better idea of what you are going through.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you get some answers soon. Then you come back to the forum and let us know what your disorder is....

SD