What does 'manic' feel like??

[Amaranth]

The only diagnoses I really have is severe depression and ptsd, but I've noticed over the past yearish that every now and again I will suddenly feel different - it's like I'm lighter and don't feel things the way I usually do, my mind will work really fast and I don't feel properly connected to the world. It's a great feeling, I have loads of energy and feel kind of buzzy and lightheaded. These phases never last, usually a day or two at most, but weirdly I can't remember how I usually feel when these phases are over.
I'm in one of my phases right now and everything feels funny and I want to skip all over the house and laugh!
But I don't think mania is really a part of anything I'm diagnosed with and I don't know if that's what I'm even experiencing!
I'm not part of any formal mental health team, I have a new doctor who I haven't really discussed any of my mh problems with yet and a counsellor I've been seeing for a couple of years.
I suppose I just want to know other's experiences of manic phases and if I could be having them?
I feel like a complete nut job and I love it!!

[sherlock holmes]

From what you've described it sounds like you might be experiencing a milder form of mania called hypomania.

I have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with predominant depression, but I do experience hypomania too. Personally when I'm hypomanic I start to think differently- i'll start having thoughts about how absolutely perfect and amazing my life is (nothing worries me, everything feels fine and I forget or don't care about my problems). I feel happy and light, I want to try lots of new things because it suddenly makes absolute sense to become a cake decorator AND a novelist right now, and so I spend money on stuff that I don't need and wont use.

My hypomania doesn't severely impact on my life- I don't need to be sectioned, I dont have any psychosis or delusions. At the most I'll spent a couple of hundred pounds and annoy people by talking non stop and laughing. But the part that affects me a lot is the sudden switch from the hypomania into a deep, suicidal depression.

It's definitely worth mentioning to your doctor. Many people get misdiagnosed with depression when they actually have mood disorders on the bipolar spectrum because no-one really thinks to tell their doctor about the 'happy' times.

I'd suggest keeping a mood diary to track your moods and see if there are any patterns.

[Amaranth]

Thanks for the reply :-) Hypomania does seem to fit how I feel, and it probably will be a good idea to track my moods - I just have to remember to do it! I will need to make a doctors appointment soon anyway for something else so I'll see if I can get up enough courage to mention it then.

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

Thank you for posting this,,, I was about to post the exact same thing!

I never tell my psychiatrist about my happy times as I never feel the need, but now I've read the above, I think I will! :blush:

[Serendipity.]

I relate to this. I have phases like this that last a few weeks or so. For me, it isn't hypo/mania but a BPD symptom.

Honestly though, I don't think it matters whether it is mania or not, if it is affecting you it's really really important that you bring it up with your doctor, and probably your counsellor too, so that they can have an accurate picture of what's going on for you and the best way to treat it. Please do bring it up at your appointment! Write things down to take with you if that will make it easier.

[Amaranth]

I think you're probably right that I really do need to say something - I'll be seeing my counsellor before my doctor so I'll see how it goes with her first!