I recognize fairly quickly that I am depressed. I don't recognize when I'm manic. I always think the decisions I make and the things I do are appropriate and maybe even wise. Usually it isn't until I start receiving packages in the mail and don't know what could be in them before I get an inkling that I might, just might, not for sure, be manic. Usually it takes someone else telling me (like my therapist) that I am manic that I can see it.