To qualify as a bona fide mixed episode, a specific number of criteria for both mania and depression must be met for x-amount of days.....a week, I think it is.

In real life, however, you just described one perfectly. During my last mixed episode (a couple of months ago), I was scrubbing my kitchen cabinets with Murphy's Oil Soap as fast and hard as I could while sobbing uncontrollably for NO good reason. I'd sit up in bed till 2 or 3 in the morning, kicking one leg over the side of the bed and crying and feeling like I was about to die. (I didn't call 911 because I knew I wasn't going to be that lucky---that's awful, but it's how I felt at the time.)

The only reason I wasn't hospitalized was that I was able to channel the excess energy into productive actions, and then of course I didn't tell my pdoc about the suicidal ideation, which in retrospect was really, really dumb. I was depressed and had enough energy to be dangerous, and I very nearly called the suicide hotline one night; the next day I called him instead and was kind of surprised that he wanted to treat me for mania. Long story short, he was right and I mellowed out within days.

Mixed episodes, for my money, are THE WORST of both worlds. The only times I've ever thought I was truly 'crazy' were when I was in a mixed state, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy's best friend.