Bipolar disorder is a widely misunderstood condition.
Conversely, depressive periods do not always involve major depression. Many people with mild bioplar disorder suffer the blues for a while, then seem to pull out of their down moods, only to sink back into mild depression a while later. Or they might have mild to major depression alternating with periods of unusual cheerfulness, optimism, or self-confidence. Their thinking may seem simultaneously coherent and muddled, giving insistent advice about an unfamiliar topic, for example. Note, however, that these quick descriptions hardly do justice to bipolar disorder.