Like maybe you are severely depressed for 3 days, fine for one, moderately depressed the next etc.

Yeah.

Check out the DSM-V criteria for a major depressive episode. It says that you have to be depressed for most of the day and depressed nearly everyday, and the depression has to last at least 2 weeks. That means there are some days where you might feel totally fine.

So, I think it's totally normal to feel like that.

[Daonnachd]

Yeah, it happens to me occasionally.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Yes, especially if the episode is really long. I usually hate it because I will get hopeful it means I'm getting better and then the next day I find out it was not true.

I feel similar to beyondTheRainbow.

[Blaire]

I don't know if it's the same thing, but with bipolar 2 I've heard atypical depression is common. That's depression that lifts for a while in response to something positive, but then you get depressed again shortly thereafter. I definitely have that. I used to think I must not be depressed because I could laugh and feel happy sometimes, but overall I was miserable.

[pirilin]

They say I have bipolar category one.
My depressions happen years apart. But when I get one, is a deep black hole depression
lasting for months. Every hour, every minute. Every second.
Let me add that every time I go into mania, my baseline, I swear I'll never be depressed again.
And at the end happens again. I most be sick.

[JustJace2u]

Originally Posted by thepterodactyl

Like maybe you are severely depressed for 3 days, fine for one, moderately depressed the next etc.

Yeah, all the damn time actually.

[LadyShadow]

I don't think I feel that. I think I am manic like all the time now. It is so weird. I haven't honestly been in a black hole depression for some time. Except maybe when I was released from the hospital and was given a medication I can't even remember now but it really knocked me out!

I am actually thankful that my insurance didn't cover it or else I would be asleep 14 hours a day or more.

[OctobersBlackRose]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Yes, especially if the episode is really long. I usually hate it because I will get hopeful it means I'm getting better and then the next day I find out it was not true.

I feel.the same way, I'll be okay, like today when I went out to eat with my Grandma, then I'll start to think I'm getting better only to get deoressed.again within a few hours of getting home (like right now). It sucks...

[OctobersBlackRose]

Originally Posted by Blaire

I don't know if it's the same thing, but with bipolar 2 I've heard atypical depression is common. That's depression that lifts for a while in response to something positive, but then you get depressed again shortly thereafter. I definitely have that. I used to think I must not be depressed because I could laugh and feel happy sometimes, but overall I was miserable.

Again I feel the same, can laugh, smile, etc. And doubting if I'm really depressed, but then the depression hits me like a.brik wall and then I know I'm depressed.

[Wanderlust90]

Yeh I do have good moments during a depression most of the time, thats what's the most confusing thing.

Originally Posted by pirilin

They say I have bipolar category one.
My depressions happen years apart. But when I get one, is a deep black hole depression
lasting for months. Every hour, every minute. Every second.
Let me add that every time I go into mania, my baseline, I swear I'll never be depressed again.
And at the end happens again. I most be sick.

Mine are just like that. Pure Hell. No small breaks where I feel good. Deep black hole describes it perfectly. One that is so deep that you feel you'll never be able to crawl out of it and even if you could you're too worthless to deserve it. That's what it feels like to me. If my luck is really bad I get psychotic, too. Longest one was 7 or 8 months. Usually I'm out of the woods in 3-4 months.

Bipolar sucks. Maybe I did something evil in a past life

Fortunately, I am not depressed. It will be back someday but not today!

thanks for all the insight everyone. I never looked into 'atypical depression' before - this definitely describes my experience better than 'normal' depression. I now wonder if what I've always considered really short and really extreme depressions were more like peaks of longer variable episodes...

[xRavenx]

Originally Posted by thepterodactyl

Like maybe you are severely depressed for 3 days, fine for one, moderately depressed the next etc.

Yes, I use a website to track my mood, and sometimes I see a pattern, as in 1 days at baseline, 2 days seriously depressed, the next day moderately depressed, then back to baseline, etc. I think the meds is playing a role in having some good days, in combination with some positive events going on (sometimes). Otherwise, without meds, it would likely be a full-blown episode, although I still do get episodes on the meds. I wish there was more out there to maintain full stability on Bipolar, as in being mainly symptom-free. It's such a tricky diagnosis.