I've experienced the same symptoms in the states you mentioned, one being a dysphoric mania, the other being a somewhat mixed state.

But to build off of @blossom12's point, what I try to do is record symptoms in my mood journal in as much detail as possible during confusing states like these. For me, it's helped me understand what's going on in my mind, and by writing it down, it becomes easier to explain to someone else.