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I'm in psychodynamic psychotherapy, but not Freudian per se, it would be considered part of the more contemporary field of psychodynamic therapy which is largely divorced from (though not entirely) Freudian theory and is very relational in nature (none of the silent, blank slate deal, by a long shot).
In any case, it sounds like what you're describing might be a kind of compartmentalization of emotion? The elation as a kind of dissociation from and/or staunch (and unconscious) denial of negative affect. I can see, from a certain point of view, how elation (of a sort) could be a defense against overwhelming negative emotion.
I don't know if this is accurate, but as far as BPD, insofar as it's characterized in part by dysregulation of emotion, it would make sense that *both* depression and 'up' states are in dysregulation. In other words, the inability to regulate both negative and positive emotion, such that the positive emotion also becomes too intense to tolerate just as depressive states are too intense to tolerate. This occurs to me now, but I don't know if research bears it out.
Has your therapist mentioned any other reasons behind elated states? It's an interesting topic because surely there are plenty of people who become elated/blissful for whatever reason or no discernible reason, and yet are not bipolar.
People who are elated only for minutes at a time, or say an hour (and then change moods) are usually not diagnosed with bipolar, but this doesn't explain why that person was elated (however short-lived) in the first place. Interesting topic.
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