Do you know your trigger?

[heyjude1]

I am aware of my triggers for depression, however, I still do not recognize my triggers for mania; it comes on so suddenly w/o warning.
Are your episodes mixed w/mania and depression or two very distinct episodes? Do you have a delay of the depression once you have been thru the manic period?  How long of a delay? Thaks, HeyJude

[wj74]

Mine are two separate states for the most part... and I sometimes get a day or two in between depression and hypomania.

[sydneylou]

Good question! I'm not sure I recognize my triggers for mania either! Like you, I have become pretty good at recognizing those for depression. I have only experienced hypomania. I will catch myself feeling a little too good, perhaps talking loads and loads with intensity and conviction (can't get the thoughts/words out fast enough) and sometimes I catch myself spending money freely on things I don't need.  B/c I'm now aware of this, I'll ask myself if I'm feeling a tad high. Sometimes the answer is yes and then I start to "red flag" my behaviour. I also know that when I'm feeling this way, alcohol will intensify my mood so I won't have any... not even a glass of wine over dinner. Sometimes it's not mania at all... just "normal" happy, outgoing me. Learning to recognize the difference was really helpful for me.

Anyway, I don't think I've said anything particularly helpful. 7 years ago I experienced rapid cycling and I would bounce back and forth from the depths of depression to walking on sunshine! I wasn't aware of triggers or delays. Now my episodes are very distinct. My episode of hypomania is always followed by despair and feeling worse then I did prior to the manic episode. There tends not to be any delay of such, at least not that I'm aware of.

[ILADVOCATE]

I would say for myself the sense of a loss of control and judgement and feeling speeded up and losing an understanding of what is going on in general. As for mixed states I would say that I start to feel angry at the world for no reason in an agitated mixed state and during dysphoria have an obsession with things that are morbid or unpleasent. Most of this is in remission with me but in looking back I can understand it better. However for me since I have schizoaffective disorder there were always psychotic aspects with it but the psychosis with the new treatment I am on has been in basic remmission but because one of the mood stabilizers I use is the Catapres application as it runs out there are aspects of mania that come and go. That is very specific as to how it works but for me since I experience rapid cycling before recovery my mood could change within hours and certainly from day to day.