Mixed State?

Hi all,

I think I'm experiencing a mixed state, but I'm not sure if it's too early to call. Last week I was suicidal -- I contacted suicide hotlines, cut myself, had no energy to do anything. This week I was great. I wrote stories and plays, planned out novels, and had a lot of grandiose plans for the future. Generally giddy and happy. I had lots of lucid dreams and would often have trouble sleeping, as I'd either wake up with a racing heart or couldn't fall asleep despite being exhausted, or would feel anxious and talk to myself at night. My mind just wouldn't shut up. Now I'm starting to feel irritable and disgusted by everything. I can't sit still and have this weird urge to fight someone, but since I know that will land me somewhere bad I'm going for a run instead. My thoughts don't feel like mine -- they feel racing, and oddly hyper focused, and I have no attention span to do one project at a time.

Does this sound like something to worry about? Thanks in advance for any input!

Possibly rapid cycling? I have mixed states, I think and they are depression and hyper agitation at the same time.

That seems to fit the description. It just seems uncontrollable, like no matter what anyone does, I'll still be irritable and upset.

Just out of curiosity, when do you have normal moods? I notice that I can calm myself down from mild hypomania, which produces a relatively normal mood, but then I get irritable.

it sounds bi polar .........first thing is first

u a in a hyper manic state u are riding a High all well and good until it swings down and u do more cuttings

everything u just said .......go to a hospital and tell them u are in mental health crisis ........they will check u in watch u (be polite watch tv or ppl watch) the doctor comes in u tell him everything u wrote

the high is fun and great for work and projects but that low when it hits it will break u mentally one day and u will do something crazy ...........go get the meds and training to deal with this so u can use it effectively but u are safe from the hell depth lows

Yeah it sounds to me as if you've moved from a depressive phase to a hypo phase.

Seek a medical practitioners advice.

Be well

Agree with above. Does not sound like mixed. Sounds hypo or manic. Mixed is the feeling of both depress and happy at same time or lots of emotions all at once. It sucks! Sorry for wording. Trust me you will know when you have that feeling. It is like you are wanting to go, but not move or cry and laugh or just want to pop out of skin. I can't explain it. Sounds like rapid cycling. I do that often. Be careful because the coming down can be just as intense as the up.

Thanks for your replies!! Curious651, that makes me wonder if I've had mixed episodes in the past but simply attributed it to out-of-whack PMS or weird depression/anxiety. Just a quick question: I thought rapid cycling meant four mood episodes per year. Does it occasionally occur over a shorter time span?

rapid is just that u shift from depressed to manic with a drop of a hat

there is no set number of attacks a year ..........a low can be a week for u and then the high be 2 weeks for u then a low of a week

with pills and tricks u will lessen the lows so not so deep as for the highs any luck u will remove them and just make a normal lvl

Rapid cycling is define as more than 4 distinct episodes in a 12 month period. Lots of people if followed over time can and will cycle to the rapid cycle "definition. " at times , other 12 month periods it might be 3 episodes.

Some doctors are quick to "label" someone a rapid cycling BP , others like my Pdoc is like "meh" about it, If I were to start having an episode every month he would probably give me the "label"

Regardless the treatment is basically the same , treat the symptoms.

My episodes are not all happy rainbow puppies, Mine are angry hateful,irritation from hell type deals.

Welcome to PC

Thanks for responding! Best of luck with your symptoms.