Quote:
Originally Posted by H.R.Kain
I live in a very dead-end town where the only two careers in the job market are nursing or car sales. Everyone here is so set on getting married and having kids. I'm about to be 24 years old in two weeks and people are just BAFFLED that I haven't gotten married yet...nor do I have any real desire to. No kids, either. And that's completely fine with me.
I don't belong here. I'm suffocating in this trap of a town. The only thing this place has done for me is prescribe me my meds that really help with my erratic moods. And I've told my counselor repeatedly that I want OUT of this freaking place. All he does is question if I've been taking my meds. I have...but he doesn't believe me. 
So my question for you guys, is wanting change REALLY so extreme that it's considered an act of mania? If not, when is it considered abnormal? And how do you get people to understand without immediately jumping on the "oh it's just your meds needing to be altered" bandwagon? |
I don't think it's symptomatic of mania unless you have other symptoms of mania. I think wanting a big change -and the reasons sound very reasonable to me- can be perfectly normal.
I think what might be a symptom of hypo/mania would be if you were to make a radical move without any forethought of applying for/getting a new job, for example. Again, along with other hypo/mania symptoms.
As an example, I was hypo when I decided to move across country all the way to CA. I had no job lined up and I oversaw every tiny aspect of the move with utter hypo focus. I had no fear or anxiety (as I usually would), I just wanted to do it and picked up and did it. I had a stable job, which I didn't like, but I could have resolved that issue without moving clear across country.
Now I'm thinking of moving back east again. But I'm not hypo. I've applied for a job and won't move unless I get the job. I'm full of anxiety and fear associated with the move (which would be normal for me) and have my eyes wide open as to the consequences. Moving takes an enormous amount of work and focus, especially if it's far away, and I just don't have that focus (again, normal/baseline). I'm thinking of moving because the only job here I've been able to find is a 2.5 hour drive away, something I didn't research before I left. I also don't have much of a support system here, I moved here not knowing anyone. So it would make sense for me to move back east if I were to get the job I applied for.
I hope this makes sense and is helpful. In short, in my case, I was hypo when I moved here and now I'm not, but am considering another move. The different in my mood and focus between the two moves is astronomical. To the point that I WISH I were hypo now to make all of this easier, to erase the fear and anxiety and get that razor sharp focus I have at least in the beginning's of hypomania.