Is bipolar sort of like being happy and confident for a long period of time and then being self conscious and depressed for another?

I wouldn't say necessarily. Bipolar for me is having extreme high periods where I feel like I can run a marathon, and talk at a thousand words per minute, and sometimes I feel invincible like I could walk into traffic and the car would be destroyed and I wouldn't get a scratch. During manic periods I can often pull all-nighters and not feel tired afterward. Bipolar is what I imagine having ADHD and consuming 4 cups of coffee feels like. The depressed periods are awful, I feel like I'm feeling the worst I ever can and it will never get better. My depressed periods can last for months, my mania is quite the opposite. For a while my idea of mania was just when I felt like I could run a marathon, I didn't realize it included sleepless nights without caffeine for multiple days in a row. It is possible to have something called cyclothymic disorder, which is a milder form of bipolar disorder. Of course, the best route is to consult with a psychologist

The happy and confident part can also be pretty energetically irritable and angry, and you can get extremely irrational. Your sleep and eating is usually disturbed in different ways in both periods. You can feel normal in between. You can feel up and down at once, and that is terrible. It usually affects your body as well as your mind, or maybe your mind is affected strongly enough to strongly affect your body? If you think you have any kind of mood disorder, it is better to contact a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, though.

Yes, consider bipolar disorder like a self flicking switch. One minute you're happy, energetic and very active and then in the next you're quiet, withdrawn, hateful towards others or fearful for yourself(revolves around self doubt as well) From my personnel experiences I can definitely tell you that at one point being alone feels like a blessing while in the other its the most depressing thing ever. Mood swings, sudden temporary interests in things or a very strong/weak sexual drive. All of these are counted as the symptoms for bipolar disorder. If you're euphoric at one moment and broken/tired/exhausted in the next, its definitely Bipolar disorder. It doesn't mean you're crazy though, this usually happens to those with some form of trauma or experience that really just confuses them. A trauma such as sexual abuse/ physical abuse/ verbal abuse etc. While experience can be something that makes you doubt life and yourself on its own, it makes you doubt your worth. Suicide or self harm also often crosses your mind. If these things happen, don't hide and don't push them back. I'm from a race where parents get offended if you ask for help from a psychiatrist, they believe you should talk to them and all, but they don't understand that they can also be the cause of our distress. There's a lot of issues that can stem from this and a lot of issues that stem from this disorder itself as well. Its just a cycle of problems and emotions and doubts and its nearly impossible to step out without proper guidance or support. I don't have it, I can go as far as to say that I'm actually alone and have no one to really 'talk' to hence I want to be here for you.

Not exactly. I would say it is more like mood swings. If you are happy for some time and suddenly unhappy, I think that is what a mood swing is. It is not completely just happy and sad, it is also the opposites of all emotions. I guess being happy and confident for a decent amount of time and then being self conscious and depressed for another can be considered as bipolar if you think about it. However, it may be something that causes you to think that way and thus cannot always be considered bipolar. It may just be you being provoked into thinking that way (depressed).