[Rebecca1]

Hi
Does any one with hypomania only get racing thoughts/flight of ideas, high distractibility, trouble concentrating, brief minutes or half hours of enthusiasm, excessive talking and rapid mood swings between irritability and positivity? When I get what I think is hypomania I get those symptoms, and they last for days or weeks, without really any external causes.
It’s so hard to tell if I’m just anxious or do have hypomania.
I also tend to have periods where I get like this and get suicidal/feel really down at the same time.
Does anyone else have the symptoms I have? Thanks by the way

[Breaking Dawn]

Hi, Rebecca! And welcome to PC! Your description reminds me of myself in the past. I didn't have mania. I had terrible anxiety & depression. I've had cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) since then, so my symptoms are easier to manage now & I can talk myself into feeling better most of the time. Does this help answer your question?

[Wander]

I have had all the symptoms you describe, and more. Are you experiencing them right now? Are you ok?

[Rebecca1]

Thank you Breaking Dawn and Wander,

@ Breaking Down, thank you so much, it definitely helped to answer the question I had, it’s so interesting that it could be depression and anxiety and not hypomania, I hope that you’re feeling much better than before. I’m seeing a psychiatrist soon, and it will be interesting to see what they think about it.

@ Wander, thank you so much Currently I’m not experiencing symptoms which is so great

[FluffyDinosaur]

I think it's very hard even for mental health professionals to draw the line where hypomania starts. It definitely sounds plausible to me that these could be hypomanic symptoms. I'd say if it's a significant deviation from your normal state, it's worth taking into account. I know what you mean about hypomanic symptoms mixing in with depressive symptoms, I get that as well.

[fern46]

What you described can occur with mixed mania. Have you seen a professional? It would be good to keep a journal of symtoms and review them with a provider.

[Soupe du jour]

I think what you describe could go either way (hypomania, hypomania w/mixed features, or just very severe anxiety alone). I think your therapist and psychiatrist would be the best judge of that. I know that severe anxiety does share a lot of the symptoms you mentioned with hypomanic states. I agree that it can be tough to be sure, if there is some level of anxiety involved, since many (including me) can sometimes have anxiety within hypomanic episodes. If absolutely no anxiety is involved, then I'd think it would be more definitely a hypomanic thing. With hypomania, there is usually always a certain degree of high physical energy and sometimes impulsivity/disinhibition. I think impulsivity/disinhibition is not as common in anxiety alone, unless it's part of a fight or flight reaction. Again, please do discuss this with a mental health professional.

Welcome to Psych Central!

[*Beth*]

Severe anxiety and some of the other symptoms you've described can be part of some types of mania. If you're having concerns about your mental health it's very important to speak with a mental health professional. Good luck!

[susalie]

Hi Rebecca1!! You exactly said what I've been dealing with most of my life. Bipolar is what I've been diagnosed with. I don't feel (now) that I'm alone in this world with this.
I thought it was just me, feeling or acting this way. Good luck and I'll be keeping you close to my heart.....

[Gabyunbound]

What you're describing sounds textbook. Literally.

But I'd suggest you be careful about leading pdoc's to any conclusions. Some over-diagnose BP, some under-diagnose BP, some are great listeners and start with an open mind, some just want to hear symptoms and make a quick diagnosis.

So, instead of giving your new pdoc a list of your symptoms, I would tell the pdoc stories. What I mean by this, is to describe, not tell. How, specifically, did these symptoms feel to you? What did they induce you to do? What was going on in your life at the time of feeling this way (it can be easy to forget, and in any case, BP episodes can be triggered by stress and other circumstances anyway), when did all of these symptoms start (how old were you), is there officially diagnosed BP in your family (not just someone who 'seemed' BP to you), etc., etc.

In short, I think really explaining to the pdoc, telling your stories, can go a long way to getting an accurate diagnosis and, from there, to get the proper treatment. No one wants to take these BP meds with all of their awful side effects if not absolutely necessary, so for that reason as well, it's important to get the diagnosis or diagnoses that most describe you.

Best of luck to you!

[xRavenx]

Hi! I relate to a lot of what you are describing when hypomanic. I am experiencing some of those symptoms right now, actually. Since I also have anxiety, sometimes that complicates things, as I question whether it's the hypomania or the anxiety or both. But I agree with others that's important to talk to a Psychiatrist or mental health professional. Good luck!