mania?

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usually i have very low confidence and low self esteem and am depressed. sometimes, i change ...... i start texting, emailing and using the phone more, i start making plans for the future - thinking i'm going to study for different professions. i can hardly sleep thinking about all the ideas i have but i'm wide awake when i get up. i think no matter who i met i could look them in the eye and talk confidently to them - this is completely out of character. It lasts for a few days maybe.

It lasted longer when I was a teenager I would die my hair brighter blonde, go out more, talk more - fuelled by alcohol. pursue guys.

could be a type of mania or just mood fluctutations.

You're describing some pretty classic symptoms of mania.
-periods of increase productivity, ase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually)
-racing thoughts
-feels lack of need for sleep, rested on little/no sleep
-more talkative than usual

There is another option though... it could just be relief experienced from a temporary remission of depression.

Closer to hypomania, but yeah. (Full-blown mania is more like hallucinations and dangerous feelings of invincibility than just the flight of ideas, less need for sleep, and hypersexuality thing you're describing.) If you have episodes of depression, too, you might actually have bipolar rather than unipolar depression, which would be a significant factor in the treatment of said disorder. You should probably run it by your doctor. You said it lasted longer when you were a teen, though; so maybe this is resolving on its own--mild cases (cyclothymia for example) may not need the intense kind of treatment that bipolar with full manias or dangerous mixed states might.

will mention it at my next appointment. just wanted opinions on here first. i think it has changed over the years and is not as big a problem as it was - it's more subtle. my sister is diagnosed bipolar or schizophrenic - they don't know which - that made me wonder about it too.

There is a condition called cyclothymia which is kind of like bipolar lite. It sounds a lot like that.

definately tell the psychiatrist as some anti depressants bring on full blown mania (with psychosis) so be careful, bipolar is very hereditary so if your sibling has it, you want to be very careful about bringing it out in yourself. If you feel a bit high, do things to counter it, dont let yourself spend, make sure you get enough sleep, make yourself sit around and make yourself eat, this will stop the brain chemicals getting into a 'vicious cycle', the same with if your down, dont go along with what you want to do (sleep and isolate) make yourself do things and see people. Meditation, avoiding cafine, eating healthy helps with both, if your high dont do too much exercise as this can make it worse.

I found this book very helpful
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bipolar-Disorde ... 150&sr=8-1