Very low lows and then excitable highs. Hence bipolar used to be known as manic depression. My best friend and I have just come to the realisation that this is what he has. He was mis-diagnosed years ago with depression. I sent him a link to a site describing bipolar disorder and he said it was like reading about himself. Which I also agreed with.
People suffering from it are rarely stable for long, they're either hovering around a low or heading up to a high.
In a low phase, they are unreasonable, argumentative, angry and irrational. They say hurtful things, which they actually don't mean, but they can't stop doing it. (I likened it with my friend, to being possessed by a demon, they can't control what they say at the time they say it and he said that was spot on).
Coming out of a low phase, they are apologetic, ashamed, embarrassed and can see they were being all the above but couldn't stop it.
High phases are productive, positive (overly so) they can brag about their past/present achievements, talk fast, talk over you, (then apologise, but still keep doing it). They come across as being pleased about the small stuff, overly pleased sometimes, almost like it's false and they're trying to convince themselves more than anyone else.
Overall it's exhausting, for both the sufferer and anyone around them. My friend lost his family, his home everything due to it. He is currently trying to get his head round the fact that this hasn't been depression at all. It's a lot for him to take in, but I have told him I will support him in any way I can. He has nearly driven me away several times. But I knew he was struggling and I just couldn't leave him to it. I love him too much to do that.
I worked in mental health for 22 years, but in all that time, I have never dealt with anyone suffering with bipolar. So the penny wasn't dropping, until I typed his symptoms into Google. I then worried for a day or so as to whether I should send him the link. I did and now he has a doctors appointment, which he's asked if I'll go with him on, to fill in the blanks, so to speak. He now has light at the end of the tunnel, as I've researched all the meds available that will suit him. He now recognises his symptoms and phases and no longer fights them, as he has an idea what it is now.
Seeing the partial relief (until his condition is confirmed on the appointment) is lovely.
He's gone from saying he's not normal, to accepting he has something more than just depression and now he has hope. 🌹