Hi dsmith. I wouldn't say that I have a constant urge to write, but when I become hypomanic/manic, I do to a notable degree. I am also a gabby person, by nature, who also likes to think up all kinds of stuff. My thoughts race a lot. I find a great deal of pleasure in it, entertaining myself with it all. I also spend a lot of time on the computer, so writing is made easy. Sometimes it is not even completely directed at people, but are various notes/thoughts/ideas/reminders/play, etc, that I don't want to lose. Sometimes writing is a great psychological release for me. I have also called my writing "the dance and flight of my mind and fingers". I love to dance. I love music. I love these sensations.

I much prefer typing than handwriting. The latter seems too slow for my taste, and can make me feel frustrated. Sometimes even verbal speech cannot express thoughts fast enough. There have even been times when I was very manic, that rapid-fire gibberish shot out of my mouth. Once a psychiatrist at an IOP told me that he had never seen or heard anything like it.

I do relate to you about anxiety, and how writing thoughts ahead of time can alleviate it. When I need to communicate to people I know little (or big groups), I would rather read something I wrote ahead of time, rather than give an ad hoc speech. That's why I like forums like this, and emailing. That's why I dislike live chats and even texting. They become too much for my racing brain to process, or seem so limiting. Often times I will free write, then go back again and again and make modifications/improvements. That's even part of my pleasure.

If I had to list the members here who write the most, I'd be up there in the top few, I think. I'm aware of it. I know that people have only skimmed, or even skipped, some of my posts, at times. But knowing that doesn't make it easy to change such behavior. I don't really even want to change it.