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hereiam said:
I think I may be bipolar but my problem is this - I don't recall ever being 'manic'. I've had times where I feel great and kinda overly happy I guess but I think that's normal. You know, sometimes you just get in a good mood for no reason. You smile, you laugh, you have the good jokes, you wanna talk a lot...I've experienced that. But I just don't consider it manic.

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Be aware that mania is not always manifested in the stereotypical "awake for 5 days straight" type visualised by pop culture. I get hypomanic, similar to what you describe here.

This would be important to bring to the attention of any physician who might treat you for depression, though. Many of the anti-depressants will send a bipolar into a psychotic episode. When my first doc tried to treat me with AD's, I ended up in hospital.

As to mixed episodes, they're very hard to describe, and even harder to experience. Elation and depression, lethargy and nervous energy, benevolence and anger, all rolled into the same creature. I say creature, because my mind seems to become that of an animal in a cage with all this going on, yet no means of escape.

\V/