Hi VeggieGirl,

Of course you shouldn't go by what I say, I am not a doctor or a pdoc. Hopefully you can get in to see a pdoc or other specialist soon.

Some people with bipolar have really fast mood changes ("rapid cycling") but many (including myself) experience long periods of one state or another. For me, this seems to go with the seasons - manic in the winter, depressed in the summer. So a tendency for several weeks to several months would not be uncommon.

Reading your post, I recognized the feelings and actions you're describing. A big red flag for me was that you were on antidepressants when you were feeling extra happy. For bipolar 1 folks, antidepressants can cause mania. When I'm manic, I act pretty much like you were describing - telling people way more than normal, going on more dates, laughing and talking more, planning new projects, spending more money than usual, and having higher self esteem than usual. I have been there with the utter depression and suicidal thoughts. Even the anxiety is something I've experienced, usually connected to one of several possible mood states. One day I was in the grocery store trying to buy food and I couldn't decide on a kind of yogurt to buy, and I got really upset about it and had a panic attack, and then I was so frightened that I left the store without buying anything, and had nothing to eat for a couple of days! I've also had the neutral days. So yes, I've experienced things like this, and it sounds like my bipolar 1 disorder with anxiety.

But my opinion is not truth or diagnosis - seeing a real specialist is important. If you are bipolar, a specialist can put you on medication that's not dangerous for bipolar 1 folks (i.e. hopefully not an antidepressant on its own). This can allow you to live life normally and not be handicapped by depressed days, anxiety, and spending all your money (trust me, I've been there).

Before you get a chance to see someone, I would suggest deep breathing to calm down so you can try to sleep. Also try limiting light exposure for a couple of hours before bed (dim the lights, no TV, phone, computer, other electronic screen light). For me sleep is so important, and it can throw things off if I sleep too much or too little.

Last thing - the head being muffled sensation is familiar to me. For me it goes away eventually if I get enough sleep.

I hope that helps!