Mood instability

[Fino]

I’m actually really confused about bipolar, specifically the length of swings. I read that people with regular bipolar swing every six months or more, and people with rapid cycling bipolar swing every three or four months or so. But I’ve also read other descriptions of it that contradict this. So you have inexplicable mood swings every single day?

Yeah, and the length of the episodes would also be longer than what I've described. That's confused me as well. So many mental health professionals I've spoken to have ignored those facts.

From what I've read, my moodiness is more consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder or Autism, both of which I've been diagnosed with as well.

 

[Fino]

I talk loud and fast too, like a Californian.

This is a thing people think? I'm gonna travel the world and feel like everyone's talking in slo-mo.

 

[Aspychata]

My mood change lets me know something is up and l am not acknowledging my feelings. Two things happened recently and l had the very tough job of speaking up and saying hey if you really liked me- you wouldn't do this to me. So my LA friend said l sounded like l was mad but l guess l was in denial of a mad mood. After l expressed my feelings then l was a tab more relieved and came off of the upset chaotic mood including frustration of an ongoing situation. But it took several bad mood days to cycle thru and finally identify and acknowledge my unhappiness.

 

[Aspychata]

For me it feels like l am walking around in a haunted house and l can't quite put my finger on how l feel. And when the feeling sorta jumps out at me, l have to catch and break it down into what it really about, then decide if l am saying something or not. My mood therefore can bounce a bit around.

 

[watersprite]

For me, mood is directly linked to situations and sensory input. Too much input (including mental, emotional, physical, etc) and I have to adjust things or my mood will drop or worst case scenario: shatter. Meltdown.

To maintain my equanimty I require a lot of quiet time.
When there are stresses and worries to be dealt with, I often get overwhelmed. This causes me to either get very busy working toward resolving them or to abandon things &/or people and retreat.

 

[Kalinychta]

Yeah, and the length of the episodes would also be longer than what I've described. That's confused me as well. So many mental health professionals I've spoken to have ignored those facts.

From what I've read, my moodiness is more consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder or Autism, both of which I've been diagnosed with as well.

I would guess that bipolar is the most misdiagnosed mental illness in the country, in that anyone who has mood fluctuations is automatically diagnosed with it.

 

[Rasputin]

I have negative mood swings which seem to be related to anxiety and stress. At times I feel as though I am failing, only to later receive feedback from others that I am succeeding. This occurs at times when I am critical of myself, maybe 1-2 times per month, and has cause strain to my relationship with my wife.

I don’t experience feelings of euphoria like someone with manic depression might, but I would describe it more as intermittent cycles of depression. I have not been formally diagnosed with “depression”, but have been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. Does anyone else experience depressive cycles like this?

 

[Kalinychta]

I have negative mood swings which seem to be related to anxiety and stress. At times I feel as though I am failing, only to later receive feedback from others that I am succeeding. This occurs at times when I am critical of myself, maybe 1-2 times per month, and has cause strain to my relationship with my wife.

I don’t experience feelings of euphoria like someone with manic depression might, but I would describe it more as intermittent cycles of depression. I have not been formally diagnosed with “depression”, but have been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. Does anyone else experience depressive cycles like this?

This is pretty much exactly how I am, too. I wonder if it’s to do with overstimulation, like mini autistic burnouts, and our moods collapse as a result.

 

[Rasputin]

This is pretty much exactly how I am, too. I wonder if it’s to do with overstimulation, like mini autistic burnouts, and our moods collapse as a result.

It’s interesting that I have commented about this at home, but no doctor has ever inquired. I think it is a form of depression that goes along with autism, maybe caused by overstimulation or perhaps masking. I don’t really know though. I was not diagnosed until I was 61, and I am very good at masking to my own detriment.

 

[Rasputin]

This is pretty much exactly how I am, too. I wonder if it’s to do with overstimulation, like mini autistic burnouts, and our moods collapse as a result.

Atypical depression may describe what we have. It sounds a lot like what I have.

What Is Atypical Depression? | BetterHelp

 

[Pieceofmind]

I do not believe I am bipolar. My father was bipolar and my mood swings are nothing like that.
My mood swings are mostly depression and/or PTSD. However, I'm not sure I am labeling "depression" correctly. My depression always hits abruptly with no apparent connection to anything. I just suddenly feel that a profound disaster has occurred, as if I just witnessed a loved one killed by a bomb or building explosion, etc. It is a feeling of urgency and profound loss, but it is not connected to anything. It is very hard to be or act happy with that feeling. It persists for a few days to a few months. It is also inhibiting in daily life including work. I have had this all my life, as far back as I can remember. It doesn't seem to have a schedule, or at least not one that I have ever been able to track. It seems to occur anywhere from two to several times per year.

I think I have figured out my PTSD, which started in childhood. The PTSD is triggered by country and western music or anything along that line including blue grass, some folk music, etc. Basically, it is triggered by anything to do with cowboys or that lifestyle. the sight of a cowboy hat is extremely uncomfortable. I have figured out the source, but it is too painful to write about. Upon a trigger, I will frantically bolt at full speed. The best example I have seen of how it makes me feel is portrayed in the true story move titled, "Welcome to Marwen". It is a true story of Mark Hogencamp's PTSD experience. Here is a clip from the movie, though as a standalone clip, it doesn't have the impact without the rest of the movie. I'm not sure if the PTSD is related to autism, but I believe it is, because I am certain the condition of its origin is autism related.

Apart from the depression and PTSD, I do not think I have mood swings. I'm never numb. I have sensitive feelings, that can be uplifting or upsetting, but it's never connected to the depression.

Old post I know but this is exactly me too. I have complex PTSD and my mood swings appear to be on a spectrum dictated by it. there is micro triggers but I can't recognize them all. I can somewhat explain it as like being stuck in a cycle with no off button. Though I have some weird things that are like you said for example country music does the same thing to me, it's an association thing. There are also certain shows/movies I can't watch because of something that happened around the time I saw them or maybe they include something bad my mind picks up on subconsciously that makes me extremely unstable. Bring outside at a certain time in specific weather conditions to specific places can also trigger it. There seems to be some sort of personal theme to all of this but I can't fully put it together. I expect I also have some degree of repressed memories to I don't have access to.

How I find a way out of these PTSD related auto cycling moods is staying within a range of things in life in a certain order that gives me a special range of perspective that allows me to proceed in life. I am still trying to find this balance and a more stable sense of neutral wellness.