Periods of mania end with a considerably lengthy mixed state, which is a bit like the (memory) tape being erased, in my case. I remember very little and want to remember less. Mentioning anything is mentally/emotionally painful. Not because of what I did so much (there is that), but just the fear associated with it. It really ends with horrible fear.

So I don't talk about it.

It's all anxiety, challenges and risk. Too much excess energy. Somehow very energy-efficient. You just tag along with God. No contemplation (in a way) or reappraisal.

During mania, when it reaches its end, I live in a "eternal" moment, completely unaware of myself, but very much aware of my surroundings. It all feels predestined. It's enlightenment, (self-transcendence and) omnitranscendence. Slowly but surely, fear sets in.

It's pretty useless to explain that: it's pretty much the essence of mania, they've heard it countless times, but have no idea, don't know it and probably will never know it.

But describing your activities in broad terms can be very helpful. Especially those that are self-effacing, assertive (especially because those two going hand in hand is typical, unusual and essential), risky, controversial and more fruitless than expected or not having really (re)considered the usefulness much (for oneself).

But seeing (some of that) should be believing, I think. It often takes someone with experience to see the changes, when diagnosing, especially because a psychiatrist usually doesn't know how you are without mania, depression or psychosis. It's the (maybe superficially subtle, modulated) changes that matter.