Having recently been diagnosed, I’m struggling to know when I’m in a manic episode. I can always tell afterwards that I was in a manic episode, but not during. After years of struggling to find the right medication due to not having a correct diagnosis, I am finally on a great medication that has helped me TONS and I have a much more balanced and happy life. (Note: my medication make it extremely hard for me to cry normally.) Although, I’m currently confused what’s happening to me. 
For the last week I think I’ve been in a manic episode. I am highly talkative, feel the overwhelming urge to be affectionate and show everyone how much I love them, motivated to make huge goals and plans, going to bed late but waking up extremely early, low appetite, wanting tattoos very bad, etc etc. The part confusing me is that between having all these feelings, I’m having breakdowns where I sob for hours because I am just overwhelmingly, debilitatingly sad. Like I said, it’s usually really hard for me to cry because of my medication, so this is confusing for me. 
I was under the impression that when you are in a manic episode, it’s just mania. When you are in a depressive episode, it’s just depression. I didn’t think a rapid swing between high highs and low lows within hours and days of each other, back and forth, was how bipolar works. Can someone please educate me so I can understand what is going on?