Abe, I rapid cycle (weekly at the moment) and my experience of symptoms is different with every change. I had a period of 6 months where the symptoms could best be described as mixed.

Sometimes it was like being super energised, foot flat driving, couldn't sit still, couldn't sleep without intense dreaming and frequent waking, hearing music when there was none, being intensely emotionally moved when there was music, yet feeling desperate and having visions of killing myself at the same time. I had quite a range of simple and complex hallucinations and delusions during that time.

Other times it was like being foggy and detached from what was going on, yet having acute sensitivity to sounds and movement. I had a very strong startle response. Some things in my thinking were lightning fast - seeing associations between things instantly, punning out loud before I had a chance to think about what I was saying, yet being unable to follow a conversation because my mind was chaotic. I didn't feel fast at all - I felt thoroughly confused. I had a feeling of being on a sagging fence of razor wire, where I could switch any second between laughing jovially and dropping into silence as I felt overwhelmed by a sense of doom and hopelessness.

I expect others will have had different experiences.