So, how do you know what mood you are in?

Or how you are feeling?
The way I view things I don't separate mood and 'me' but that leaves me with no idea what 'mood' I'm in. I'm good at describing things but apparently crappy isn't a feeling. So when do you know when your just okay, or your mood is lightly depressed or heavily depressed? I ask this because I'm learning my feeling a bit off and thinking I may want to call it to T's is usually what other feel is almost crisis level. I have never thought I was depressed even when med changes where suggested.

Oh, and I'm questioning my bipolarness and my ?

I have a pretty detailed daily mood chart I keep, it helps me tell where I'm at

I like using the mood tracker here. It's interesting seeing how it has fluctuated since I joined... Ever since the possibility of my diagnosis was brought up that first time, I've been keeping a mood journal, as well. Although, I've never had any doubts about depression. I consider myself just depressed when it's sorrow. I consider heavy depression complete apathy - the moments in which I just cannot be bothered to try to care about anything. It's my other moods that I have trouble distinguishing.

The problem is I do keep a mood chart, well a heavily modified event/mood/thought chart and I still can't tell.

The only moods I have trouble identifying are mixed ones. Also can't identify when I'm psychotic. For me when I'm confident, want to socialise all the time, running out of breath from talking so fast, think everything is amazing, crave sex more than air and don't need sleep - that's definite mania. When I'm crying all the time, feeling a lot of guilt and thinking death is the only solution - that's definitely depression unless its accompanied by manic energy then it's mixed. I know these moods coz they are so far removed from my level headed, calm and hopeful baseline. Just work on what your baseline is and then any extreme shifts up or down will be easier to identify. You have to know what's normal for you before you can ever know what's abnormal.

I think you are really aware the mood you're in & proud of you. It's hard to tell. But you've been mindful & experienced much.
I easily know when I'm depressed. Because that's the big black hole for me. I do have trouble knowing when it's time to get help, I get so mixed & irritable & the sky is falling when I'm depressed.
Harder for me to accept is when I'm in the hypo/mania - like finally I feel happy busy busy, I deserve to feel this great after what hell been thru! Even tho that's a risky place to be for various reasons, I'm far more disconnected from reality & my true self when in depression.
Not sure if that made sense nor why I'm wide awake at 4:20am...

For me, a lot depends on sleep and energy and my... sociality? haha. That's not a real word.

Hypo: Very little sleep (often forgetting food), loads of energy, and I will want to be out drinking/partying on the weekends and will want to be out a lot during the week. I also get more motivated to start new hobbies. I'll drink to excess, but not out of a desire to forget - I'll just be bubbly and happy and go along with everything, and that tends to involve always having a drink in my hand - but I'm a quick drinker and don't pay attention, so I'll forget to count my drinks.

Normal: Fairly average sleep, am happy to be out on the weekend and some things mid-week but whether they're chill or party-like is fine with me. I'll enjoy doing whatever. I'll be remembering to eat and get back to eating healthy.

Mild depression: Will be pretty consistently tired, not as much energy. Will still go out to social engagements but might cancel and will not want to be out late or doing anything that's really party-like. I'm more likely to want to go out for a meal 1:1 or something. My eating will be cheap foods because I won't want to put effort in to cooking. I might be lucky and get mild enjoyment out of some things, and will stay at home as much as possible - but might feel better with that and will engage in solo escapes (reading, gaming).

Moderate depression: I will almost always decline invitations unless I really feel the pressure. If there is a chance that it won't be 1;1 I will almost definitely not go. I'll miss meals because I won't be hungry. This is when I will really start with oversleeping. Even when I'm home I won't really do things like read or game, and my online social engagement will decrease (I won't want to write in forums as much). I'll sometimes think that death would be a good idea right then. My apartment will probably start to get messy as I will slack on basic chores.

Major depression: Well, this one is obvious as I start daydreaming more about suicide and wish that I could indulge in that. I will completely hermit and will NOT go out with people. I can still pretend that I'm in a moderate depression though - so I can still get through work. But ALL of my limited energy goes towards work. Chores at home will pile up. Aside from doing the dishes when I have to, and taking out garbage/kitty litter, everything else will go on the wayside.

Panicky/stressed: This can be present in any stage, but usually it will get mixed in with depressions and I consider it separate as it may or may not be present. This is usually what makes me cry. I'll flee situations if I get freaked out, I'll get angry and frustrated with myself, I may get snappy at someone if they catch me in the wrong moment. If I am like this in combination with a moderate/severe depression, this is when I end up with a mild OD as I will be in too much pain to handle things so will swallow enough pills to give me a stomach ache as something to focus on. This is also when I will drink to the point of throwing up (still a rare occurance) because I will be drinking to knock myself out or to forget.

A Red Panda described it amazingly well. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who's that close to me on symptoms, the only major exceptions being I don't drink and I do get full-blown manic at times. And I OD'd on Ativan about six weeks ago so I could just not feel for a few hours (it was more like 16, and my poor husband sat up all night and half the day to make sure I was breathing).