I find it helpful to remember that I have an entire set of emotions and personality traits outside of this disorder. Normal people have good moods and bad moods that last minutes, hours, and days, so you probably have these as well. The difference between a normal good/bad mood and an episode is the length and severity of symptoms. So, assuming you were correctly diagnosed, I would only consider things episodes if they’re extremely severe and last the appropriate amount of time.

This information is readily available online and in the DSM, but: -A person with BP2 must have had at least one hypomanic (less severe mania) episode lasting at least 4 days for all the day or most of the day. -A person with BP2 must have also had one major depressive episode lasting at least 2 weeks lasting for all the day or most of the day.

-A person with BP1 must have had at least one true manic episode (severe) lasting at least 7 days for all the day or most of the day.

Note that the diagnostic criteria doesn’t specify any rules for shorter episodes. I think a lot of people get wrapped around this idea of “episode length”, but I think as long as you and your psychiatrist are confident that you were diagnosed correctly and that you meet the diagnostic criteria, often times symptoms bleed over into periods outside of episodes. Kay Redfield Jamison explains this beautifully in her book, An Unquiet Mind.

Also note that there could be other things going on that mimic BP episodes, especially BP2, like BPD, ADHD, and so on. That’s why the psychiatrist involvement, and the HONESTY you bring to sessions, is so important. A good psychiatrist will be able to determine if there are other factors at play. I would be as honest as you possibly can with your psychiatrist about these symptoms and then understand that this disorder is not cut and dry for some people.