[HereIamBp]

I can laugh at this now but in its moment I was dead serious and offended if you tried to dissuade me. For years as a city slicker I was determined to buy a house in the country with acreage, be self sustaining, raise chickens, Barbados Black Belly Sheep, goats, llamas and use Great Pyrenees dogs to protect them from predators. I was prepared to care for the house, land and animals ALL by my lonesome. I studied and read up on all their care and their housing. I was going to raise fruits, veggies and a crop or two.The first thing I did was get a Great Pyrenees puppy while still living in the city. Then we brought a house with acreage, then reality set in with just caring for the husband, house, land and house pets was extremely tiring. Winter cold killed my desire to raise chickens and dreams of livestock went out the window. Now I can see my delusion of grandeur and luckily I don't have regrets. The biggest product of this delusion was a big fluffy 85lb dog

Does any one else have a delusion of grandeur experience they would like to share?

[Pughead]

I hear you. When I was younger I had literally thought I was super-human, and that I was completely indestructible. My friends called me "theego", but I felt that I deserved it, as some sort of "greater being." Hence the crash into a huge depression when reality set in and I realized that I was not.

[Ascension]

Yeah... I know all about delusions of grandeur. I would take up way too much time and create an intimidating wall of text in describing the mania induced schemes and plans I have come up with. I get myself so in over my head sometimes with my next big life changing plan to take over the world that I become a raving lunatic mad scientist and/or artist. Wringing my hands like Montgomery Burns with delight at my soon to be empire only to crash back to earth frustrated and embarrassed I thought that my plans would amount to anything.

[BNLsMOM]

I too was ready to live off the land although I didn't have as much detail worked out. I was going to live in a farm house and grow my own food, have chickens for eggs and a goat for milk. I would sell the excess to make money. I got as far as getting an apartment in a town that had a lot of land.

A few years later, I opened a yoga studio after having only a year's experience doing yoga. That one could have made it if I had been less impulsive. It was a viable business and I had broken even when I closed due to "family emergency" which now that I am diagnosed, I recognize as a mixed state.

There are many more...

[perpetuallysad]

Ya, I have so many I'd rather not even think of it.

Mostly I just think I know everything and everyone else is just wrong.

[Pughead]

I think I went through 4 cars in 2 and 1/2 years, and they were not cheap. I learned my lesson from that mistake! I'm still about $5K "upside-down" as they say. Meaning if I were to sell it, I'd still owe another $5K to pay off the loan.

[Anneinside]

I once bought a new car because I had to have leather seats. The car I had was not even a year old and the new one I bought was one year newer with the only differences being the leather instead of cloth seats and the color.

Another time I bought siding for my house at a huge cost when all it needed was a coat of paint. I became totally fixated on getting siding. I don't own the house anymore and have just about paid off the cost of the siding.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by HereIamBp

I can laugh at this now but in its moment I was dead serious and offended if you tried to dissuade me. For years as a city slicker I was determined to buy a house in the country with acreage, be self sustaining, raise chickens, Barbados Black Belly Sheep, goats, llamas and use Great Pyrenees dogs to protect them from predators. I was prepared to care for the house, land and animals ALL by my lonesome. I studied and read up on all their care and their housing. I was going to raise fruits, veggies and a crop or two.The first thing I did was get a Great Pyrenees puppy while still living in the city. Then we brought a house with acreage, then reality set in with just caring for the husband, house, land and house pets was extremely tiring. Winter cold killed my desire to raise chickens and dreams of livestock went out the window. Now I can see my delusion of grandeur and luckily I don't have regrets. The biggest product of this delusion was a big fluffy 85lb dog

Does any one else have a delusion of grandeur experience they would like to share?

I think that is a lovely delusion. I am there. I have the eighty acres, the barn, the quonset hut, the horse, barncats, tiller, ...

I wanted to get a goat but my friends said be prepared to see the goat standing on top of your car so I decided to get a donkey because they are protective and will kill coyotes. Still might get one, I hope I don't get in over my head. In the spring I plan to get a half dozen guinea chicks because they are very territorial and make good "watch dogs". Let's see what else had I intended. At one moment I was going to grow shitake mushrooms because I have the oak trees but finally decided it would be risky without having a buyer and I wasn't sure how to go about that. I debated growing pines for Christmas trees. I was going to grow vegetables to sell. There are so many things I was going to do. The only profit I actually have in my farm is hardwood timber and natural gas, things that don't require much attention.

A few years ago I made a blue and gold costume for one of my model horses resembling WVU school colors. It was okay but at the time I thought it was beyond awesome and thought I should buy a hundred model horses and make a hundred costumes and sell them at the university bookstore and on ebay. Yeah delusions of grandeur, I've got 'em.

[Pughead]

I tend to see delusions of grandeur meaning that you think you're of higher importance than others. That you are destined to make some profound impact on humanity that no one else is capable of. That you are in fact, God-like. But I hear you on the going nuts about spending big and making irresponsible decisions that get you into financial trouble. I'm not sure if that's from delusions of grandeur, but it is definitely a symptom of hyponamia/mania. I've worked for so many companies in the last 8 years. I've finally landed myself in a job that I feel really lets me use my creativity, most of the time. i get mad when I have to help someone grasp fundamental concepts, or spending time investigating bugs that turn out to be user error. But I was always jumping around, having that attitude that "This place is not good enough for me. i need to be somewhere where i can really deliver a high impact." i've finally reached that place. But I need to keep in mind that when things suck, I jut have to be patient and it will eventually turn around. i also have to be mindful of the fact that I have a great job, and nothing is worth doing something that was cause me to lose it.

[lonegael]

Oh, yeah, I was going to raise sheep and teeach my dog to herd. At least, we tought him to slow down my youngest when he tries to run off Worked out ok, but no sheep until I can manage them!

[cybermember]

I believe that I will invent something extraordinary that will change the world and I will be rich because of it.

[BNLsMOM]

Originally Posted by Pughead

I tend to see delusions of grandeur meaning that you think you're of higher importance than others. That you are destined to make some profound impact on humanity that no one else is capable of. That you are in fact, God-like. But I hear you on the going nuts about spending big and making irresponsible decisions that get you into financial trouble. I'm not sure if that's from delusions of grandeur, but it is definitely a symptom of hyponamia/mania. I've worked for so many companies in the last 8 years. I've finally landed myself in a job that I feel really lets me use my creativity, most of the time. i get mad when I have to help someone grasp fundamental concepts, or spending time investigating bugs that turn out to be user error. But I was always jumping around, having that attitude that "This place is not good enough for me. i need to be somewhere where i can really deliver a high impact." i've finally reached that place. But I need to keep in mind that when things suck, I jut have to be patient and it will eventually turn around. i also have to be mindful of the fact that I have a great job, and nothing is worth doing something that was cause me to lose it.

What I didn't include in my post was the aspect you are speaking about here. With every "great" thing I have ever thought of doing, there was a component that I was to be the best, most influential one doing it and many lives would change for the better because of my life. It is such a nice thought and it would be wonderful if I could make it come true.

Perhaps we bipolar people have the potential to influence many lives, if only we were able to maintain our moods. If we were to be able to hold on to our creativity and drive without being manic and without being depressed...

That is a bit of hope we should hold on to. Maybe someday there will be discoveries on the workings of the brain that will help us all become influential beyond our wildest delusions to grandeur. Maybe we will be known as grand rather than as delusionsl. Perhaps that is a bit grandiose in itself, but perhaps it will be one of us who is able to make it happen.

[HereIamBp]

I want to be like you.
I wanted Guinea chicks too for the same reason.. I forgot to say also that I wanted to sell my ORGANIC veggies, fruits, and extra ORGANIC livestock for income.
That would have been some picture with the goat on the car.
I wish I had the Christmas trees and natural gas and stuff.
Sorry your model horses didn't sell

Originally Posted by Yoda

I think that is a lovely delusion. I am there. I have the eighty acres, the barn, the quonset hut, the horse, barncats, tiller, ...

I wanted to get a goat but my friends said be prepared to see the goat standing on top of your car so I decided to get a donkey because they are protective and will kill coyotes. Still might get one, I hope I don't get in over my head. In the spring I plan to get a half dozen guinea chicks because they are very territorial and make good "watch dogs". Let's see what else had I intended. At one moment I was going to grow shitake mushrooms because I have the oak trees but finally decided it would be risky without having a buyer and I wasn't sure how to go about that. I debated growing pines for Christmas trees. I was going to grow vegetables to sell. There are so many things I was going to do. The only profit I actually have in my farm is hardwood timber and natural gas, things that don't require much attention.

A few years ago I made a blue and gold costume for one of my model horses resembling WVU school colors. It was okay but at the time I thought it was beyond awesome and thought I should buy a hundred model horses and make a hundred costumes and sell them at the university bookstore and on ebay. Yeah delusions of grandeur, I've got 'em.

[HereIamBp]

Hey Pughead,
I can understand you seeing a lot of the stuff shared on this thread as mania and hypo-mania. It can make sense. I was following the following definition:
delusion of gran·deur
n. A delusion in which one believes oneself possessed of great importance, power, wealth, intellect, or ability.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

I thought I had the great or super ability to run a farm by myself. That's why I thought it was delusion of grandeur. Maybe I'm misinterpreted the definition. Sorry if I did.

Originally Posted by Pughead

I tend to see delusions of grandeur meaning that you think you're of higher importance than others. That you are destined to make some profound impact on humanity that no one else is capable of. That you are in fact, God-like. But I hear you on the going nuts about spending big and making irresponsible decisions that get you into financial trouble. I'm not sure if that's from delusions of grandeur, but it is definitely a symptom of hyponamia/mania. I've worked for so many companies in the last 8 years. I've finally landed myself in a job that I feel really lets me use my creativity, most of the time. i get mad when I have to help someone grasp fundamental concepts, or spending time investigating bugs that turn out to be user error. But I was always jumping around, having that attitude that "This place is not good enough for me. i need to be somewhere where i can really deliver a high impact." i've finally reached that place. But I need to keep in mind that when things suck, I jut have to be patient and it will eventually turn around. i also have to be mindful of the fact that I have a great job, and nothing is worth doing something that was cause me to lose it.

Hooboy, can I ever relate to the grand schemes and ridiculous projects. You name it. Too many to go into, really. Good point though, Pughead. Unfortunately that aspect is true of me as well. Being all too aware when hypomanic that no one is keeping up with me either mentally or physically and thinking very unkind things of them as a result.... like "ye sloths on quaaludes, arghhhh!!!" Um, reality check? *I'm* the "sloth on quaaludes" when I'm depressed, so where do I get off really?! Back in the autumn, I was working in the studio when I made a "discovery" involving a glue gun, markers and aluminum foil. Boy, was I pumped! Dancing around and even shouted out, "I'm a f****** genius!!!" P-doc said later, "um, but you didn't really believe it, did you?" Actually, at the time, yes. But seriously, it wasn't exactly the realm of genius, was it? Yikes. Was trying to explain this to the BF just last night. He had said that I was so nice. Well, yes, I do try, BUT when hypomanic I can either be a load of fun or pretty darn obnoxious. Still nice at the core, personality-wise, but it sure wouldn't seem that way to someone looking on(!) Full of myself much? Oh yeah. But it's more than balanced out the rest of the time when I don't even feel cut out for the world or worthy of normal human interaction.
Ugh. One extreme to the other.

I have not been diagnosed as Bipolar. Still, these are terms my therapists made sure I was familiar with:

grandiosity An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power, knowledge, importance, or identity. When extreme, grandiosity may be of delusional proportions.
grandiose delusion A delusion of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or special relationship to a deity or famous person.
__________________

I have not be diagnosed as Bipolar. Still, these are terms my therapists made sure I was familiar with:

grandiosity An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power, knowledge, importance, or identity. When extreme, grandiosity may be of delusional proportions.
grandiose delusion A delusion of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or special relationship to a deity or famous person.

[Pughead]

I've heard of something called "The Hypomanic Edge." I think it's a book about how a lot of innovators and people who made significant discoveries had mood disorders.

We've all heard of "The Mad Scientist."

So I guess, before they had meds, while on the way up you could only go one way. UP!