Hypomania or normal life?

Hi all,
I'm new here. I'm lurking around the internet trying to get a couple answers, because I'm not sure what's going on with me these days! Basically, my mental health problems started ~3 years ago (I'm 20 now) but I was in denial about it all for a while until it got really bad and I finally got help, was dx GAD and MDD. To date I've only had 3 "real" depressive episodes (some periods of low-grade depression as well) and I'm actually just coming off of the most recent one. But lately I've been thinking back to a period in my life, about 2ish years ago when I first started college, in which I was on top of the world for about a month. It's difficult for me to say whether it was situational, because I brushed it off as that, but I think I kind of knew it was abnormal. I spent almost all my savings, became super involved, partied hard and got wasted every weekend, thought I could pass my classes without trying, was super outgoing and made friends who thought I was "the wild one". I guess I thought people change in college, but now I'm not 100% sure.

Anyway, I've been severely depressed the past month-ish, and then the past week I have been feeling pretty weird and kind of agitated, and I get the feeling something is changing in my brain, but I don't know what. Then the past couple of days my mood has improved dramatically, like no self-deprecating thoughts etc etc, actually doing things, and I have lots of energy and am starting to do work, clean, etc. Now, it's hard for me to tell--could I have bpII and may be heading toward a hypomanic episode, or am I just being paranoid about both instances (I do have GAD, so.. ).

I realize you all cannot diagnose me, but I would really appreciate any input you can provide. I do not see my therapist for 2 weeks and psychiatrist for a month so I do not have any professionals to bring it up with ASAP.

Thanks a ton!

It's so hard to tell as you well know, which is why you're here!

You could have been having a normal transition to college -what you describe sounds like what many people would report when first going to college. Did you have more discrete/self-contained (with beginning, middle, and ends) such episodes while in college?

What's happened more recently, could simply be that you're feeling better after having been so depressed, which may just feel, for that reason, a bit better-than-better.

So nothing jumps out at me, but I'm no doctor, that's for sure! Of course it's always possible -especially with the agitation, though that could be anxiety- that you're going into a hypomanic state.

If you're worried, since you don't have an appointment for a month, I'd suggest you call your pdoc and either try and get in earlier or talk to him/her directly.

Best of luck to you!!

Thanks for your response!

That is comforting to hear, that it might be situational. I don't even remember what it feels like to be "normal", only that the last time I came out of depression it took much longer and I never got to the point I have just risen to within a few days. But I am starting to think it is the new medication working!! maybe I have finally found the right combo.

The only thing I worry about is that I seem to have been spending a lot of money unnecessarily, oh well now I am almost completely broke so I can't spend money I don't have!

Believe me, you can spend what's not really yours. Spend on. Money ain't nothing 'till you spend it. Good luck.