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Mountainbard · Nov 18, 2015, 12:58 PM

hi ezogyo-- it is very common for antidepressants to make people with bipolar manic or hypomanic. I was misdiagnosed with major depression for years, and treated with antidepressants only, which would inevitably make me hypomanic. Then I'd decide I was "well" and stop the meds. That would push me back into depression. From what you've described I'd say you definitely have bipolar II. Hypomania can be very subtle. It can seem just like a "good mood" at the time. Although some would disagree, it is very hard to deal with bipolar without medication. And being bipolar you need to be on a mood stabilizer as well as an antidepressant.

As for your questions, I think you can be more sure that you are bipolar if you look up the symptoms for bipolar II. I don't think anyone's personality can account for depression like you've described it. Hypomania can last anywhere from days to months. It's pretty likely that you will have depression after hypomania, although you may experience a period of stability in between. You will have both hypomania and depression if you are truly bipolar II. But the hypomania can be hard to recognize, while the depression is always severe. You might often feel normal in between. But remember bipolar is a progressive disease. Left untreated it only gets worse. You can definitely tell yourself you're hypomanic and carry on being hypomanic. It's impossible to predict how long an episode of hypomania will last. The signs of bipolar II are severe depression alternating with feelings of being hyper, and it is very common for others to notice you are hypomanic (acting weird) than you are.

I hope all this helps some. I think you are on the right track, and you should continue researching bipolar II and looking for answers. I wish you the best of luck.