Of course you can be productive and not manic! Think about artists, teachers, doctors: all the productive people in the world that don't have a mood disorder at all, let alone bipolar disorder. It's completely normal to occasionally be productive; productivity can include doing housework and going to work every day - if that's from mania then my mum and the majority of other parents out there must be bipolar.

Then again, it's important to know the difference between productivity when in a 'normal state' and productivity displayed during mania and/or hypomania. During a manic episode, productivity will occasionally be mixed with impulsivity, hyperactivity and a handful of other symptoms. For example, when I'm manic, I don't work methodically and instead try doing many different things at once and have an intense feeling of having to get EVERYTHING done in a matter of hours. When I'm stable and productive, I work through things at a good pace but don't take on everything all at once; I will often create a to-do list and split the same amount of tasks over a few days.

Personally I'm more productive when hypomanic as opposed to fully manic but I guess that's easily explainable!

When it comes to spending money, it's human nature to go on the occasional shopping spree. Most people will buy a load of things to make themselves feel better. In the short run, spending money can lift anyone's mood because of the endorphins released during doing so (the guilt coming a few days afterwards). However, impulsive spending and over-spending both ring alarm bells. Just ask yourself: "Did I really need that? What did I need that for? Can I REALLY afford that? How much did that cost? Did I really consider that purchase before completely the transaction?" If you cannot truly justify the purchase and you spent a large sum of money without really thinking about it, you should consider questioning a manic (or indeed hypomanic) episode.

Stephen Fry is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (Type 1) and he did a documentary about this. In one part he went shopping with a psychologist and he explained how he has over 22 Apple computers - he knows he doesn't need them, he just wants them all. He then goes on a huge shopping spree without thinking about anything and without any justifiable reason for any of the purchases and says he owns every DVD there is in HMV even though he most likely will never watch over half of them.

My mum isn't diagnosed with any mental illness. However she will go on a shopping spree every now and then - she'll buy a pair of shoes, a few dresses, some makeup and £120 of food. This is normal as she can justify buying these items and she buys in moderation. I have observed her on a shopping spree to see the difference between a non-bipolar person shopping and myself (Bipolar patient) shopping and noticed that she would look around all the shops first and think about what she was getting before she picked it up and went to complete the purchase. When I'm manic, however, I will pick a load of items up without thinking about it. I'll just see it, ignore the price, pick it up and repeat the process over and over until I decided to leave the store. On arriving home, I'd realise I don't want half of the stuff.

I once impulsively bought a hamster when manic. I didn't think about it - I just asked the woman behind the counter to get it for me, I bought hay and a huge cage and lots of food and paid and started the journey home. Once half way, I began to get very depressed and started crying - I didn't want he hamster anymore. So I had to take it back the next day.

There you go. Think that should clear it up a bit
RB