My first hypomanic episode was when i was 18. I thought i'd fallen in love. I thought love was responsible for my euphoria and talking lots which was unusual for me. My best friend said she liked me better that way because "there weren't all those tense silences." My mom said i seemed very happy. I stood up to my younger sister who could be quite hostile and she cried. I saw my boyfriend every day and we had sex for the first time for both of us on our one week anniversary.

When i came down i realized that he wasn't that great and i thought it was just infatuation. I continued to see him for the rest of the Summer but i was nasty to him because i was so bored with him. We broke up in the fall and i was perversely devastated. Years later when i was diagnosed i realized that my elation with him at first was hypomania.