I have Bipolar 2, so the only time I was full-blown manic and delusional/psychotic was due to a high dose of steroids. I had a friend point out to me that I wasn't making sense and she asked me if I was manic. I was like, "Yes. Yes I am. I'm going to the hospital now."

But with hypomania, which I am much more familiar with, I generally know when I have it. I am really good at hiding my excitement from others, though because as Elsa says, I want to assimilate. My irritability is hard to hide from my husband because I can just let it rip around him and not be afraid of say, getting fired from my job. But I DO apologize to him after I snap at him. Sometimes he has to point out to me that I'm being snippy or overly insensitive. Then I realize, "Oh, I must be hypomanic."