[~Christina]

So I was thinking ... Many people monitor their mood , a lot.

How do you determine if your in an episode or your just dealing with a situational issue?

Like ...Pet dies > you are sad > does it mean your will go into a depression? Is that depression considered a BP Depression ?

Like .. You get a job promotion > you are feeling great , on top of the world ? Does that mean hypo/manic episode ?

Do your episodes come and go at a regular interval ? or just pop up whenever it wants too ?

Just curious ? Thoughts?

[A Red Panda]

I get situation depressions. Eg: My Birthday, Christmas, break-ups. Those ALWAYS lead to a situation depression. But they might just last a few weeks - sometimes shorter sometimes longer.

My actual depressions show up whenever the hell they want to. Sometimes I'll be in one before my typical situation-triggers, so they just get absorbed in the bigger depression.

Sometimes if I am stuck in too many situational things in a row (typically this means that I'm stressed out and not handling things well) then it can push me into a depression that will last a lot longer - I consider that a BP/true depression as it will last way longer than the situations that prompted it (as in, I won't be upset about those particular events anymore... but the depression is still there).

If there's a BP/non-situational depression, I won't be able to pin-point when it started, and can't think of causes for them. They're just there.

[Trippin2.0]

I don't consider emotional reactions due to specific situations as part of my bipolar at all.
I realise I probably react very strongly to them because of said bipolar, but I don't credit the bp for my emotional state.

Like when my brother and father died, I didn't consider the ensuing depressions as an episode. I considered it grieving.

Now when I wake up at 3am wanting to do a load of washing and clean my room maniacally, and it lasts for longer than a week (like now ) or I wake up regretting I did so, for no reason I can pin point at all, and the days and weeks that follow is spent crying like my heart had been ripped out, now that's my bipolar right there...

There is however a grey area for me, stress.
If I have stress build up, either tiny things that I don't address or a sucky job situation that I can't change, this inevitably leads to a depressive episode. My MO is to feel it nipping at my heels, its a definite build up, then BAM! I have a fullblown meltdown about 3 months down the line, usually infront of an audience, and the depressive episode on average lasts about 2 months.

I have less of these nowadays though, I try to address stressful situations as they arise, as my body give me physical cues, and I have learned what type of jobs not to accept.

[BipolaRNurse]

It's taken me awhile, but I've learned a bit about how to distinguish BP vs. situational moods. The ones that have an obvious trigger, such as the depression I experienced when my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I attribute to this life event; while the ones that come out of NOWHERE tend to be bipolar-related.

That's not to say that a situational issue doesn't develop into a mood episode from time to time, or vice-versa; in fact, the mania I'm recovering from now had no known cause, but escalated because a couple of really awesome things happened that pushed me even higher. And the depression I had last December had a lot to do with my work stress and the holidays, both of which can be VERY triggering for us.

Bottom line, not everything that tweaks our moods is BP-related.

[Victoria'smom]

Everything is situational until I stop eating, become paranoid, and start having violent thoughts.

This is a really good question and something I've been struggling with.

For example, last week a friend of mine died. The whole week has been a challenge owing in part to that. I was doing okay until yesterday when I talked to someone upsetting on the phone, and was overwhelmed with feelings of wanting to hurt myself (a seperate issue?) That whole day was tough, and that was yesterday. This morning, I woke up doing better but when I took a nap today, I had a nightmare and now I feel depressed and hopeless and anxious all over again.

I have just started tracking my mood with an app, so I honestly can't tell if it's situational, or if these things are actually coinciding with crash that's already occurring since I was recently hypomanic. Or, if it's just been my poor emotional skills with regards to processing grief and trauma.

I really don't know and would be curious about others' thoughts on this topic.

[Amelie10]

After many years of therapy, meds, recovery, etc. I now have an understanding of the difference in BP related moods and situational moods.

Sometimes I feel sad because of situations. I cry, I feel lousy, but then I feel better. A BP depression comes for no reason and stays as long as it wants. For me this is usually 6 - 8 weeks.

Grieving is painful, but there is hope built in. There is healing to it. It passes. People support you, it hurts, but it gets better.

My depression has no hope, no healing. It seems like it will never get better. There is no light. It comes without warning and then slowly it goes away.

Same with the good moods. I know the difference between something great that is to be celebrated and hypomania.

But I will tell you that it took me a long time to get to this point.

[BlueInanna]

For me there has been non stop situations for about 8 yrs. I manage & manage & manage until something blows and it's either going to fall on the depression side or the hypo/mania side of this dark steep slope. Sometimes I'm surprised when "bad" stress sends me into wheee hypo.

I don't decide I'm in an episode until it's been at least a few weeks cuz I'm always hoping I'll snap out of it or I'm having such a busy talky time I don't notice. I hide a lot of the inappropriate & risky hypo behaviors but I mostly know when I'm in it.... Then the crash into depression & mixed sends me crying back to pdoc.

I've only had this dx a few years, but I'm starting to catch on & accept my pattern. I guess the risky one for me is to somehow not fall in love with the hypo for too long because the pattern of the inevitable (for me) crash after is so sad & torturous. Idk still figuring it out.

[vans1974]

Hey Christina- I think the answer is both. However if for no obvious reason you feel a euphoric mood or feel horrible and depressed and your mood changes often and rapidly you might have a mood disorder. But, it's possible that situational and biological factors can effect your mood as well. I'd check with a doc! All the best!!