How do you tell the difference??

I spoke to pdoc about my mood swings and he said they could happen in both bipolar and unipolar depression. He said "the question is how high do you go?" to which I said that I'd never been manic, at least not euphoric mania, though I do get these mixed/agitated dysphoric episodes...

Anyway how do you tell the difference? I've been depressed for 5 years now so I don't know if my 'up' periods are me returning to 'normal' for a bit or going a bit higher than that. I feel like me again, but a better version of me than before I was depressed. I'm more confident, more adventurous, more talkative/sociable (normally I'm quite reserved) and sometimes spend a bit too much, like £100 on jewellery making equipment when I haven't made jewellery in 2 years. The stuff arrived and I didn't even open it because I was in the middle of an agitated/mixed episode and then crashed into a deep depression. If hypomania causes no functional impairment then how can you tell it's that and not just a really good day that everyone has?

I tried searching the forum so as not to bother you all, but I couldn't find anything.

Thanks for reading!

*Willow*

[Trippin2.0]

No such thing as 'bothering' on this forum! not everyone has the same experience, or even goes thru the same experience repeatedly. Alot of us have physical symptoms which makes it easier to spot. Like sensory overload, racing thoughts, pressured speech, dancing to ****** music just bcos you ABSOLUTELY MUST dance... But yeah, it differs. I suggest keeping a mood tracker. It would definitly let you know if your happy is higher than baseline...

[moremi]

I would say buying the jewelry if it is out of charachter for you, and you were overly talkative and outgoing when you usually are not was probably a hypomanic day for you. I love those days, its been to long since I have had one. I look forward to them. Now that is something I am addicted to.

Thanks guys

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

No such thing as 'bothering' on this forum! not everyone has the same experience, or even goes thru the same experience repeatedly. Alot of us have physical symptoms which makes it easier to spot. Like sensory overload, racing thoughts, pressured speech, dancing to ****** music just bcos you ABSOLUTELY MUST dance... But yeah, it differs. I suggest keeping a mood tracker. It would definitly let you know if your happy is higher than baseline...

My agitated episodes which follow the happiness definitely has sensory overload and racing thoughts, but I don't think it does when I'm really happy. Everything just seems clearer, like I've been lifted out of a fog.

I've actually been tracking my symptoms since February, but I find it really difficult to track my mood. I can't seem to get my head around an abstract number scale. Like what does a '4' feel like, or an '8', you know?! Ive really tried but my brain just doesn't work like that. And happy either is my baseline 'normal' or it's hypomania because there are no other moments of depression lifting in the 5 years I've had it. It lifts for 3-4 really good days, then it turns really nasty and I'm incredibly agitated, pacing the house, thoughts racing, don't like noise/light/touch (even my puppy) impulsively desperate to kill myself for no reason etc which can last up to 6 weeks. And then I plunge into a really deep depression where everything slows down inc my thoughts and movements for however long that lasts and then I climb into a slightly less depressed depression and wobble from there back to more depressed and back a few times, until the happiness comes again and the cycle repeats. This only happens twice a year as far as I can tell from journals and my symptom diary.

Originally Posted by moremi

I would say buying the jewelry if it is out of charachter for you, and you were overly talkative and outgoing when you usually are not was probably a hypomanic day for you. I love those days, its been to long since I have had one. I look forward to them. Now that is something I am addicted to.

Yes they really are good I've been depressed so long I can't remember what 'normal' feels like, but whatever those days are, they are good. Too bad it's only like 6-8 days a year.

I think if I could numerically track my moods it would be easier to tell how high I go, but I can't. Does anyone know of another way I could track mood other than numbers?

Thanks again guys,

*Willow*

[Trippin2.0]

Your pdoc was wrong to imply that 'high' is a good high. I think you've been looking for the wrong symptoms, and thats why it doesnt match your experience... Hypo/mania doesnt automatically mean euphoria. IMO, you are probly happy happy at times when the depression lifts and then experience dysphoric hypomania... My hypomania is euphoric for about four days. If it lasts longer than that it goes dysphoric, which turns ugly and angry, fast.

[faerie_moon_x]

Yeah, dysphoric mania is different.

For me for example if I'm happy I can be talkitive. But If I'm manic, I can't shut up. I'll talk right over you. That whole "can't get the words in edgewise" type of talking. And talking really fast, stumbling over my words because my mouth is too slow for my brain.

But I'm not euphoric, either. I'm dysphoric with is grumpy and irritable and not happy at all.

[Gadgetsmile]

I found a good mood tracker

www.medhelp.org/account/login

It plots graphs and isn't just how good is your mood. It has lots of stuff on there.

[moremi]

Originally Posted by WeepingWillow23

Thanks guys


My agitated episodes which follow the happiness definitely has sensory overload and racing thoughts, but I don't think it does when I'm really happy. Everything just seems clearer, like I've been lifted out of a fog.

I've actually been tracking my symptoms since February, but I find it really difficult to track my mood. I can't seem to get my head around an abstract number scale. Like what does a '4' feel like, or an '8', you know?! Ive really tried but my brain just doesn't work like that. And happy either is my baseline 'normal' or it's hypomania because there are no other moments of depression lifting in the 5 years I've had it. It lifts for 3-4 really good days, then it turns really nasty and I'm incredibly agitated, pacing the house, thoughts racing, don't like noise/light/touch (even my puppy) impulsively desperate to kill myself for no reason etc which can last up to 6 weeks. And then I plunge into a really deep depression where everything slows down inc my thoughts and movements for however long that lasts and then I climb into a slightly less depressed depression and wobble from there back to more depressed and back a few times, until the happiness comes again and the cycle repeats. This only happens twice a year as far as I can tell from journals and my symptom diary.


Yes they really are good I've been depressed so long I can't remember what 'normal' feels like, but whatever those days are, they are good. Too bad it's only like 6-8 days a year.

I think if I could numerically track my moods it would be easier to tell how high I go, but I can't. Does anyone know of another way I could track mood other than numbers?

Thanks again guys,

*Willow*

I would track it by what you are feeling (low, med, high), how you are seeing things are they (blah, normal,clearer are colors brighter and prettier), does everything seem to be (bad, ok, great) How are you today with other people (reserved, normal, outgoing very talkative) I dont know maybe measure things this way. Add in other things to measure. That would be like a scale of 1-3 instead of 1-10 I have a hard time with the 1-10 scale myself. Even on the pain scale the doctors ask I never know what to say I just guess. I dont know if that is what you were looking for, just trying to give something different.

[faerie_moon_x]

another good mood tracker is Optimism online because you can customize the whole thing. You can put in whatever is most helpful for you to keep track of.

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

Your pdoc was wrong to imply that 'high' is a good high. I think you've been looking for the wrong symptoms, and thats why it doesnt match your experience... Hypo/mania doesnt automatically mean euphoria. IMO, you are probly happy happy at times when the depression lifts and then experience dysphoric hypomania... My hypomania is euphoric for about four days. If it lasts longer than that it goes dysphoric, which turns ugly and angry, fast.

So what does your euphoric hypomania feel like? How do you know you're hypo and not just 'normal'?

I've wondered if my agitated episodes are dysphoric hypo/mania that turns mixed when my mood crashes but my energy and rage etc are still high, but pdoc talked about "uncoupling" of the mood and energy cycles which he says is what happens in bipolar but also unipolar depression. He didn't say what causes the uncoupling in unipolar depression though, which I should probably ask about...

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

Yeah, dysphoric mania is different.

For me for example if I'm happy I can be talkitive. But If I'm manic, I can't shut up. I'll talk right over you. That whole "can't get the words in edgewise" type of talking. And talking really fast, stumbling over my words because my mouth is too slow for my brain.

But I'm not euphoric, either. I'm dysphoric with is grumpy and irritable and not happy at all.

Yeah I don't get that talkative, but good talkative. Like I feel I'm funnier and more engaging to be around, rather than talking over people etc. If it is dysphoria I experience, it's not fun at all

Originally Posted by Gadgetsmile

I found a good mood tracker

www.medhelp.org/account/login

It plots graphs and isn't just how good is your mood. It has lots of stuff on there.

Thanks. I'll check that out

Originally Posted by moremi

I would track it by what you are feeling (low, med, high), how you are seeing things are they (blah, normal,clearer are colors brighter and prettier), does everything seem to be (bad, ok, great) How are you today with other people (reserved, normal, outgoing very talkative) I dont know maybe measure things this way. Add in other things to measure. That would be like a scale of 1-3 instead of 1-10 I have a hard time with the 1-10 scale myself. Even on the pain scale the doctors ask I never know what to say I just guess. I dont know if that is what you were looking for, just trying to give something different.

That's a good idea moremi, thanks

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

another good mood tracker is Optimism online because you can customize the whole thing. You can put in whatever is most helpful for you to keep track of.

Thanks dark_heart. I'll check it out

Thanks everyone

*Willow*

[Anika.]

A less than scientifically tested way that I know that I am hypo and not just happy.. I feel an electric current running through my veins, i feel like it's just going to shoot out my finger tips and toes. I sort of feel like a wild horse, like I am just going to lift off to outer space. I don't feel like that when I am just plain happy.

For me the hypo will last for a three or four days and then I will become manic. Which then turns to dysphoric mania and then psychosis.

Tracking your moods is a great idea, and a really good way to figure out what's going on, patterns, why, when, how. If you track moods, your meds, and other things going on in your life even your mensus for females, and also track sleep along with anxiety, that would be very helpful for you.