when people say that they are depressed in the mornings and hypo in the afternoon, are they talking about full blown depression and hypo, or a lesser form of them?

I ask because my episodes are really bad and i am a rapid cycler, but my episodes can last for days regardless and come out of no where. they are brutal and scary. I'm just trying to understand and clarify what exactly is being said here. my emotions will always be out of control, but I never confuse my emotions with episodes. so are we talking emotions or are we talking mood shifts?