Hi all,

TL;DR, is it possible to be manic and want to save your money, and honestly, how do I know if I'm happy or manic? I feel like overall I know what mania is, but how do I know if I'm just happy because the meds are working?

The long story:

I have new medications for bipolar, PTSD, and anxiety, and I am wondering if it is a normal sign of mania to want to radically save money? Normally, when I am manic, I do a lot of shopping, but with this new medication, I feel inspired to save everything I can which is not normal for me.

There are some rational reasons for this: I overspend and want to learn to stay within a budget, I need to save several thousand dollars for an emergency fund that I depleted AND for a new car AND car insurance, and in a couple months I am officially hiring my sibling to help me with a project which costs quite a bit of money.

But I am taking the money saving very seriously including food expenses, normally I don't give a second thought as to what I buy but now I'm being very careful.

Another thing I wanted to ask about is I've struggled with depression and dark thoughts for most of my life, and to take medications that make me feel happy (with newfound energy) is rather unnerving. Like I have to constantly question whether I am happy or manic, so that's why I'm posting.