hypomania?

I've been feeling depressed for probably a month, probably in part because of my struggling relationship with my now ex-schizoaffective boyfriend.

On Saturday I woke up feeling restless and *had* to get things done. I ended my relationship with my boyfriend (not an impulse move - it was definitely in the works for a couple weeks). I stayed busy all weekend because I felt a physical anxiousness if I wasn't doing something. My mind was moving fast and I struggled to watch a movie (I kept pausing it to do other pointless stuff). The only way I was able to relax was by watching episodes of Hannibal (still pausing to do stuff but I wasn't as restless as during the movie (I have trouble with movies requiring too much time and focus). I was in a pretty good mood yesterday.

Today at work I felt really irritated and angry. I was so annoyed with everyone and felt on edge. My body felt like it was sort of humming with energy.

I've been diagnosed with BPII and I've been told that my hypomania tends to be more irritable. Is it possible to go from depression to hypomania so quickly? I still feel depressed but I have the hypomania irritation, anger, and energy. I constantly feel tired but my body feels so full of energy and I have trouble falling asleep because I sort of kick my legs to get rid of the feeling of "trapped" energy. Could this be a mixed episode?

I'm not on any medications, so it's not a side effect of drugs.

here in NY (the one in the USA as opposed to other locations) hypomania is like the middle of the road...not depressed (sad/down, suicidal, self injury, inability to concentrate, loss of interest in normal routine activities) and not mania (mood swings, happy, irritable, making decisions without thinking the situation out, not thinking of the possible consequences,.....) but a middle ground where a person actually feels good, that they have a handle on life/their problems...

example when I am manic I am constantly on the move, got to get this and that done, cant sit still, lots of multitasking because I cant concentrate on one thing at a time due to how fast my brain is thinking, how fast my body is reacting to my super fast thoughts.

when Im in depression phase of bipolar I have trouble getting out of bed, no energy, suicidal thoughts, self injury thoughts, just want to be left alone.

when Im in hypomania phase I feel good/healthy and able to concentrate, able to take things one step at a time, able to sit still and complete tasks one at a time, I get a lot done that I want to because Im able to be organized and focused.

is it possible to go from depression to hypomania fast yes people who go through their bipolar phases fast are called rapid cyclers. your treatment provider can help explain this and can help you stop going through the phases so fast if this is what it is, which brings me to your other question could this be a mixed episode...only your treatment providers can tell you what type of episodes you are having and treat you for it.

my suggestion if this continues to bother you contact your treatment providers.

I'm able to cycle that fast. I'm also bipolar 2. You may also be experiencing mixed moods, where you have manic and depressed symptoms at nearly the same time.

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Hi I am also in a hypomania state right now. I had been in a manic state for several days. But I get so bummed because I don't realize I was manic until I come down. Then I feel I just crash. I am so exhausted today. I decided to look into these forums because I am tired of feeling like I am crazy. Even though it was hard for me to read today, it also helped be to stubble across forums where others described how I felt.

Hypomania can be positive and productive, or it can be irritable, anxious, and agitated. For me it varies, and i tend to get mixed. Even when i'm in a positive hypomania it's problematic because i do dangerous and impulsive things, say things i shouldn't, etc.

A normal mood is called euthymia. Hypomania can feel good, but it's not stability.

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Absolutely, yes. Rapid cycling. The irritable, agitated hypomania you've described is called "negative hypomania". Ugh.

Hypo mania is not a place a stability. It is debilitating just like bp1. The depression side of it stops me in my tracks...boom. I think I tend to get mixed episodes where one day I feel on top of the world then within a day or two I get very depressed and unfortunately that state lasts the longest. I'm on 5 diff meds plus a prn. My illness still finds its way out tho. I know my meds are helping me because I know how bad off I am without them. Lately I've been getting only 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night. Last night I slept 11 hours and now I'm wide awake at 1am when I have to be up by 6am. It's a crap shoot. Never know from day to day how it's going to go. How do you all sleep? Do you get too much or to little?

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thank you for trying to provide me with the correct definition of what hypomania is...the problem here isnt whether a member is right or wrong....

we have many different locations, cultures, treatment providers and such represented here on psych central , as such we post only from our own locations, and the definitions according to our own locations here in NY which is in the USA as opposed to other locations this is the standard we go by and what my own treatment providers go by in diagnosing my own bipolar phases..

Hypomania and Mania Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder

Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. Hypomania is a mood that many don't perceive as a problem. It actually may feel pretty good. You have a greater sense of well-being and productivity. However, for someone with bipolar disorder, hypomania can evolve into mania -- or can switch into serious depression.

thanks for trying to provide accurate information but unfortunately this is the standard I must go by because thats what my location and my own treatment providers go by.

to the original poster....everyone has their own treatment providers, location, culture...so theres going to be conflicting answers on here go according to what your own treatment providers say is your bipolar and your bipolar phases and how to treat it. they are the ones that know you the best.

I'm sleeping an average amount (10 or 11 pm to 7am), but I feel like I'd like to just lay in bed all day.

I noticed that I feel better when I'm alone. Being around other people tends to trigger the annoyed/angry feelings. Even when I'm alone I feel on edge, but I tend to be happier (sometimes too happy/giddy without any reason to be).

Today I felt sort of like a creature in a shell that's too small. Like my body feels too tight and it would feel so good to stretch out of it. It's such a weird feeling and hard to explain, but when I visualized a creature breaking out of a too-tight shell it felt almost like a relief.

I just feel really unsettled. I don't have a pdoc right now. I'm on a list for one and on a list for a therapist (I don't have benefits and I don't have the ability to pay out of pocket for this stuff).

Hypomania is not a middle-of-the-road, stable mood. Hypomania can feel good in the way that mania can feel good - like a loss of inhibition - it can also feel like an irritable, anxious, agitated, angry mood and can escalate rapidly into rage. In the state of hypomania there is a likelihood that decision-making is likely to be imbalanced. A big problem with hypomania is that it almost always crashes down into a mood of depression.