Well it does sound like you're suffering from clinical depression. The fact that you have hyper days suggests to me that you could possibly be manic depressive. I would suggest you visit your doctor and tell him about it. He might be able to refer you for councelling and put you on a course of anti-depresants.
That isn't always true peter. I have my manic days as well, but I am not bipolar. Ups and downs are just part of depression, and because of the lack of serotonin production in the brain, when you are having a depressed day, it is pretty likely that you won't have much energy to do anything, not only because of the mental toll it takes on the body, but the physical as well. Those days when you feel hyper are most likely days when your brain has readjusted, and your serotonin levels are up. Depression in itself is a chemical imbalance...which means some days you will be ok, and some days you won't be. BUT there is the possiblity of bipolar disorder as well...there are a lot more symptoms to look for before jumping to any conclusions, and talking to someone is definitely the first step.
Symptoms of BIPOLAR Disorder
Mood swings from from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.
Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:
- Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
- Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood
- Extreme irritability
- Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
- Distractibility, can't concentrate well
- Little sleep needed
- Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers
- Poor judgment
- Spending sprees
- A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
- Increased sexual drive
- Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
- Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
- Denial that anything is wrong
A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with 3 or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, 4 additional symptoms must be present.
Signs and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode) include:
- Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex
- Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down"
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
- Restlessness or irritability
- Sleeping too much, or can't sleep
- Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain
- Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
A depressive episode is diagnosed if 5 or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.
A mild to moderate level of mania is called
hypomania. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated with good functioning and enhanced productivity. Thus the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people or can switch into depression.
Sometimes, severe episodes of mania or depression include symptoms of
psychosis (or psychotic symptoms). Common psychotic symptoms are hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or otherwise sensing the presence of things not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical reasoning or explained by a person's usual cultural concepts). Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder tend to reflect the extreme mood state at the time. For example, delusions of grandiosity, such as believing one is the President or has special powers or wealth, may occur during mania; delusions of guilt or worthlessness, such as believing that one is ruined and penniless or has committed some terrible crime, may appear during depression. People who have these symptoms are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as having schizophrenia, another severe mental illness.
It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in bipolar disorder as a spectrum or continuous range. At one end is severe depression, above which is moderate depression and then mild low mood, which many people call "the blues" when it is short-lived but is termed "dysthymia" when it is chronic. Then there is normal or balanced mood, above which comes hypomania (mild to moderate mania), and then severe mania.
In some people, however, symptoms of mania and depression may occur together in what is called a
mixed state. Symptoms of a mixed state often include agitation, trouble sleeping, significant change in appetite, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. A person may have a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.
This disorder often is disguised as by other problems -- for instance, alcohol or drug abuse, poor school or work performance, or strained interpersonal relationships. Such problems in fact may be signs of an underlying mood disorder.
Diagnosis of BIPOLAR Disorder
Like other mental illnesses, manic depression cannot yet be identified physiologically—for example, through a blood test or a brain scan. Therefore, a diagnosis is made on the basis of symptoms, course of illness, and, when available, family history. The diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV).
Clinical depression is really a phrase thrown around in the mental health field in a general way, to reference other diagnosable conditions. It is not officially a diagnosis. The types of depression you may be diagnosed with include:
- Dysthymia
- Major Depression
- Bipolar Disorder
Below is a list of the symptoms often experienced in these types of depression:
- Depressed mood, feelings of sadness or emptiness
- Radical reduction in interest in or pleasure in nearly all daily activities
- Significant weight loss or weight gain of 5% in the last 30 days
- Inability to sleep or oversleeping
- A physical or mental sense of feeling slowed down
- Fatigue or loss of energy everyday
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt nearly every day
- Diminished ability to concentrate
- Indecisiveness
- Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
- Impairment in functioning socially, in occupation, family etc.
- Increased irritability
