Bipolar Disorder Support Group

Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.

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Mood switcheroo

iam30113
iam30113
Is it normal for you to have a manic episode for over a week, taper off into what seems to be depression and within a few hours go hypo? My mania felt like it ended Saturday and I had all the usual blue feelings but last night I was back on a high and that high is still here. It might be that nothing really happened to worsen the depression but usually after an extended high my depression lasts a while. I'm a little confused but really happy I no longer feel down.
theatrediva
theatrediva
You know I honestly havent figuered out when I am manic or whatever I just know I feel really shitty or really awesome. I know what you mean about feeling confused about how you feel. Thats me in a nut shell all the time.
iam30113
iam30113
I haven't quite figured out when my mood is 'normal'. Do we even have that?
Community Leaderacuriousfish
acuriousfish
yes we have normal.

rapid cycling is 4 episodes, ie mania and depression in a year.

The standard terminology of up for mania and down for depression is possibly misleading - fast and slow is possibly beter. So if you are feeling bad but still agitated that's still fast and an elevated mood.

we can have minor ups and downs but proper episodes last weeks, months.
iam30113
iam30113
Thanks, Fish. I'm still getting the hang of this. Reading, researching, watching stuff...
spacekat
spacekat
Yes, thank you fish! My mom used to have a calendar and she would circle my UP UP UP days in red and DOWN DOWN DOWN in blue. It was like patchwork. I can tell if I get giddy that I'm entering at minimum a hypomanic state. Depression usually hits my eyes first then I feel fatigued and awful.
DoorMAwss
DoorMAwss
Yes - officially, as Fish has said, it's called "rapid cycling".

At YOUR age, I was doing the Same thing: normal - hypo - manic - DOWN - hypo - normal - manic - hypo - manic - normal - manic - DOWN - normal - hypo....


Lather, rinse Repeat. So it Happens! (wear a seat belt, please) When are you starting the nice drugs you heard about from the nice doctor recently? lol


:):)
iam30113
iam30113
I meet with the doc to discuss what meds I should be on in a month. SOOOOO far away. Sigh. I'm running around campus being crazy again, same as last week. Makes me wonder if my supposed trek to depression land wasn't just a normal response to me running my poor body ragged.
Desigol1979
Desigol1979
I am hypomanic now. Had a day when I was performing tasks admirably, but have now come crashing down after a phone meeting where a few newcomers became overeager.
mayismerry
mayismerry
My md manager thinks that episodes usually last no longer than 2 weeks at a time..she may have been thinking mania. Like high mania for 2 weeks then cycling down. And then sone will continue to move between the 2 in rapid cycling.

It seems depression can last longer. But you have to wonder if it is really bipolar depression or possibly pathological grieving that one is having difficulty allowing them self to pass through. I remember hearing instructors address that issue in group. Or even ladies going thru hormonal changes, besides the bipolar depression or even SAD. Depression has many causes.
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