• Below is a list of my manic depression symptoms: 
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•  I am very easily agitated and frustrated
•  At the end of the day I go home and cry my eyes out, for no reason
•  I’m sad for no reason at all
•  I don’t have a lot of energy
•  I lose interest in the things I normally enjoy
•  I don’t want to be around people, they annoy me with every little thing they do
•  I have a temper
•  I’m confrontational

When I become manic I feel like it comes on from out of nowhere. It seriously feels like someone flipped the switch down and I’m instantly in a bad mood. I can tell you the exact moment it happens. I hate that feeling. I never know how long it’s going to last. When I’m manic I try to tell myself that it’s just a phase and my emotions are not in line with reality. One thing that has helped me is reading about cognitive thinking. This is when you try to talk yourself through situations by looking at the positive side of the situation and believing that what you’re thinking is the way you feel and hopefully you can think yourself into a better mood (this is what it means to me, a doctor could have a different opinion). Now, don’t get me wrong, we have a chemical imbalance so the thought of talking yourself into a better mood is absolutely impossible sometimes but it I truly believe it can help you in some small way. Another thing that helps me is to make a quick 15 minute med check with my doctor, who is absolutely fabulous by the way! It’s good for your doctor to see the many moods you go through so they can decide if they need to make a change to your meds.

·         Fatigue – This is the next stage after decreased energy. Depression can cause physical fatigue. Sleep becomes unrefreshing, you are tired even when you get up in the morning. You feel tired during the day. You may perk up during your work day, but the moment you get home you feel as if you’ve been run over by a train. You don’t know why you are so tired, either. They hear you sighing and notice that you are working more slowly and hesitantly.

·         Lethargy – Lethargy is a more serious symptom. It is defined as, “Abnormal drowsiness or stupor; torpid, apathetic state.” In terms of depression, both of these definitions can apply. Someone in a depressive episode may be unusually drowsy. Or a person can be what is more commonly thought of as lethargic – spending hours just sitting in a chair, not in a totally unresponsive, catatonic state, but simply uninterested in doing anything, feeling physically and mentally heavy. This symptom is one that would interfere with your normal daily responsibilities, so your loved ones, friends or coworkers would be able to identify it with little difficulty, as should you. 

·         Diminished Activity – This may be a result of decreased energy, fatigue and lethargy, or it may occur independently of those symptoms. In circumstance, you and those around you should notice if your level of activity begins to drop – for example, if you normally do the laundry and simply begin to leave it undone or if you go to a diet group three times a week and then just stop going.

·         Insomnia or Hypersomnia – Insomnia means having trouble sleeping. It’s a common symptom of depression: lying awake worrying, unable to get comfortable, feeling tense or just having your mind racing (a sign of a mixed depressive episode). Hypersomnia is just the opposite: sleeping too much. People in depressive episodes have been known to sleep more than 20 hours a day. Insomnia may or may not affect your daily routine. Because many factors can cause insomnia, it may have to go on for awhile or occur in conjunction with other symptoms for you to realize that it is a depressive symptom. Hypersomnia, on the other hand, stands out immediately and is a signal for an emergency call to your psychiatrist.       

·         Loss of Interest in Pleasurable Activities – The name of this symptom describes it well. You normally love to go bowling, but start turning down every invitation. Mary’s a fanatic gardener but this spring isn’t out there with her trowel and plants the way she usually is. Rick has season tickets to the Mets but has been staying home, and when you ask him why he missed the last game, he just shrugs and says, “I didn’t feel like going.” This symptom may be easier for others to spot than for the person who is going through it.

·         Social Withdrawal – This symptom is easy to describe, but it may be hard to notice, depending on whether the bipolar person’s personality between episodes is more outgoing or reserved, more “party animal” or more “quiet evening alone with a book.” Someone who is naturally solitary may become more social during a manic or hypomanic episode, then withdraw too far during depression. But since this person is known for being something of a “loner,” no one may realize that this time the withdrawal is more serious than usual.

**These are symptoms taken from a website to provide information on symptoms of manic depression. If you believe you are manic please contact a doctor for professional medical advice. I am not a doctor.**