I also find it hard to tell. I was diagnosed in the past with BP1 with psychotic features, and told that I get mostly dypshoric mania, never pure mania and rarely depression.

Well, it is hard for me to tell if dysphoric mania is causing psychosis, or if I have dysphoric mania symptoms because my psychosis is making me very upset, riled up and confused.

I've had a couple 'happier' psychotic episodes, but I didn't really have classic mania symptoms, such as racing thoughts or insomnia. It just felt like the very nature of the psychosis at those times was making me feel 'naturally' excited and positive, since I believed in what I was perceiving, and what I was perceiving was positive and exciting.

In the end I think I identify more with schizoaffective, but I don't fight my pdoc on diagnosis, because all that matters to me is that my medication makes me feel okay and stable.