[Gabyunbound]

How do you know if you're in a depressive episode, a hypo/manic episode or at your baseline?

For me, I think my baseline is very broad. I actually think this is the case for many of us with BP, even if it may not seem like it sometimes. It includes feeling down and feeling up, feeling irritable, or giddy, especially when it lasts less than a day or only for a couple of days. This is just a part of who I am and I think non-medication remedies are best in these circumstances (if anything): taking a walk, talking to a friend, taking a nap, watching a movie for distraction, etc.

I know I'm in an episode if what I'm feeling is extreme, well beyond feeling sad and down or feeling happy and up. Sleep over a period of time is also a very good indicator.

So how broad is your baseline? How do you know what your baseline is? Do you think it would help your BP treatment to have a better grasp of what your baseline is (moods that are within normal limits for you and not episodes)?

[raspberrytorte]

My baseline is mildly depressed and sort of negative. So it's a mild depression brought on by anxiety and negative thoughts and there's no suicide ideation.

I know I'm in an episode when I feel weird, as in I don't feel right and can tell something is off. It feels like things shift mildly out of focus mentally.

[OctobersBlackRose]

I don't really know what my baseline is, but I'd have to say maybe a little on the depressed side.

[Gabyunbound]

On thinking about it more, I think my 'baseline' is how I'm feeling at any given moment that isn't an episode, good or bad.

So after the euphoric part of hypomania, I tend to get really irritable (everyone else is too slow, and I'm just downright irritable in general), but right now I'm irritable as well, but not in an episode, I am because I've been getting very little sleep (non-BP-related little sleep), so it's normal for me, or baseline, to get irritable when I get so little sleep (and I have to work anyway). I know that if I were in an episode, amongst other things, I wouldn't be so utterly exhausted from lack of sleep. I hope this makes sense, I'm dead tired

Anyway, I'm trying to get to know more and more what are 'normal' reactions for me, so I know when to turn to meds and/or pdoc and when to turn to other means. Also when to get anxious/scared about how I feel or not. It's a work in progress.

[gina_re]

Baseline: I get s*** done like I'm supposed to
Hypo: I get way to much done, I go overboard
Depression: Nothing but the bare minimum to stay alive gets done