ok, so i've never had a manic episode, but i've been trying to figure out if i've had hypomanic episodes. how do you know if you've always been the same? my docs always ask me, but i always say "no" b/c, well, i feel like it's kind of hard to know. thought i'd ask for some opinions.

i've had severe depressive episodes all of my life. i just recently started on meds. i've tried 2 kinds & they haven't worked; in fact they made me worse. i have periods of intense productivity & optimism about my work, but then i crash. but, i'm a grad student & i've always assumed that's normal. i don't go on spending binges, but i'm a grad student...i'm poor. however, when i do have money, i never have it for very long & i can't exactly figure out how it got spent...i'm a crappy budgeter. i go through periods of getting really excited and talking fast/a lot, but usually only to my girlfriend and to my students. at least i think.

um. that's all i got right now. how does your (if you have it) hypomania present itself?