[madisgram]

Hypomanic Episode

SYMPTOMS

A hypomanic episode is not a disorder in itself, but rather is a description of a part of a type of bipolar disorder.
A hypomanic episode is characterized by a distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the person's usual mood.

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx21.htm

[Forgive77]

So is that like a day we have anxiety, and can't cope with life, and can only drink, smoke, and urinate, or is that when you are filled with rage, and rant?

Originally Posted by Forgive77

So is that like a day we have anxiety, and can't cope with life, and can only drink, smoke, and urinate, or is that when you are filled with rage, and rant?

lasting throughout at least 4 days

It's like a period of time....one day is just a crappy day I guess, unless it's the first of the 4 days. That's why we need to pay attention to how we feel.

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

It's like a period of time....one day is just a crappy day I guess, unless it's the first of the 4 days. That's why we need to pay attention to how we feel.

So it can be any mood that lasts for four days?

[madisgram]

re-read the article, forgive.
for me it's irritability, lack of concentration, little sleep, etc.

Originally Posted by Forgive77

So it can be any mood that lasts for four days?

Forgive,

Here is a more detailed description of the symptoms of Hypomania and how it is characterized. For me it's decreased need for sleep, more talkative, racing thoughts, goal directed activity (working and shopping)and distractability...I'm far more productive and outgoing. I'm a fun hypomanic.

A hypomanic episode is characterized by a distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the person's usual mood.
During the period of mood disturbance, 3 or more of the following symptoms have persisted (4 if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:

• Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
• More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
• Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
• Distractibility (e.g., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
• Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
• Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., the person engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)

A hypomanic episode is associated with a change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person. For example, the individual may be far more productive or outgoing and socialable than they usually are. This change in functioning and in mood are not subtle -- the change is directly noticeable by others (usually friends or family members) during a hypomanic episode.

Hope that helps.
Were you diagnosed bipolar 1 or 2?

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

Forgive,

Here is a more detailed description of the symptoms of Hypomania and how it is characterized. For me it's decreased need for sleep, more talkative, racing thoughts, goal directed activity (working and shopping)and distractability...I'm far more productive and outgoing. I'm a fun hypomanic.



Hope that helps.
Were you diagnosed bipolar 1 or 2?

LOL Thanks for that. Bipolar 2, but under extreme stress I do get some of the Bipolar 1 symptoms. I've heard voices, and have seen things. So I'm going to my pdoc tomorrow and going to bring it up with him. We never really talk about the disease, just what's going on in my life at the time. This is the first time I've ever talked to people like me, and have identified things as apart of my disease. I've never linked up these feelings etc. before. It is very interesting and helpful. All this moving and triplets, and going to nursing school, and very wrong medications has made me a walking by product of the disease for 3 years. A never ending never stopping loop after loop of being in depression and mixed stats etc. It hasn't stopped.

[Abyssal]

What exactly is racing thoughts? can someone elaborate?

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by Abyssal

What exactly is racing thoughts? can someone elaborate?

I know! Hard right? Esp when you think that everyone does this. For years my mind was never quiet. I would obsess over things that ticked me off about people. I guess it's that pervasive, and uncontrollable dwelling, and obsessing, and the inability to move on.

I also have where I get a bright idea like going to school, or redoing the kitchen or something and I plan it all out, and until I do that, and talk about it, I don't feel better until I do.

I don't know if that's right....but that's what I do.

[wing]

Racing thoughts are like an endless tape of random ideas zipping by just beyond your rational mind's reach. A verbal kaleidoscope.

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by wingin'it

Racing thoughts are like an endless tape of random ideas zipping by just beyond your rational mind's reach. A verbal kaleidoscope.

For me racing thoughts were the same automatic thoughts that went through my mind, but went through it at a speed I couldn't evaluate or alter them. When they were positive, that didn't seem like a problem, to me anyway, but when they were negative, it was life-threatening.

[venusss]

Originally Posted by wingin'it

Racing thoughts are like an endless tape of random ideas zipping by just beyond your rational mind's reach. A verbal kaleidoscope.

for me (I think mostly in pictures/sequences/non-verbal) it becomes.... like viewing a music player visualization. Colors, patterns, changing... pretty, but try to write a paper or study when all that comes to your head is purple-orange ameboas...

[Visioneer]

For me hypomania feels good at first, just like being really happy. But gets eventually unbearable. I'd say people notice that I'm hyper, even I notice it. Joking around excessively, getting to the point that people start to think I'm acting weird or even a little scary. Writing five hour long emails, essays, or researching anything that catches my eye, all night. Feeling like I'm having some kind of mental epiphany or breakthrough, like I'm figuring everything out, everything suddenly makes sense, even though if I look back at the things I thought or wrote after the fact it clearly doesn't. Deciding to leave the country after having stayed up all night making mixed tapes. Forgetting to eat or drink. Can't sit still, walking around in circles, cleaning the entire house. Taking on waaaay too much and breaking down because I can't get everything done, going between five different organizing jobs and all of them getting worse instead of better until there is stuff everywhere. Getting angry at everyone, for everything. And the downward spiral begins. I end up with mixed episodes, highly agitated and depressed at the same time, extreme anxiety and sometimes delusions or paranoia (my room mate is purposely giving me diseases and is going through my things, I have been bugged, I'm in an experiment and everyone is in on it, etc.), hallucinations uncommon usually from the sleep deprivation, insomnia and endless thought loops that literally drive me insane... I don't know how else to describe it. It's a really, really terrible feeling. That's what Seroquel is for, and I must say it does a damn good job of keeping me alive. It's the best thing I've had, the biggest part of a cocktail that's working well.

[sugahorse1]

My racing thought feel like ADD; I start a million things but actually don't get anything done. I just feel busy. From there I go to feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, and often go into depression
For me it became quite obvious after a while when I was in a mixed episode

Forgive: You CAN have psychosis symptoms in the midst of depression as well. It's not often, but it does happen. Just figured that would make the line between your diagnosis & Bipolar II less blurred!!

I am also a really fun hypomanic! I get so much done & crack jokes & make witty comments on just about everything. It really can be thrilling & I forget about what a burden BP is until my mind starts racing on a negative track or another negative symptom shows up for me to deal with. It's so unfortunate that such useful phases are always soured by the rest of the disorder. Lol :/

[Abyssal]

hmm got it .. thanks guys for explanation ..

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by Shayatanica

Forgive: You CAN have psychosis symptoms in the midst of depression as well. It's not often, but it does happen. Just figured that would make the line between your diagnosis & Bipolar II less blurred!!

I am also a really fun hypomanic! I get so much done & crack jokes & make witty comments on just about everything. It really can be thrilling & I forget about what a burden BP is until my mind starts racing on a negative track or another negative symptom shows up for me to deal with. It's so unfortunate that such useful phases are always soured by the rest of the disorder. Lol :/

Ya I guess I think I can solve other people's problems, or have things figured out, but I never think I can't keep up with my thoughts. They are just really good or really paranoid and mean. I'm fun when I'm happy, but really not fun when I'm not. People just kinda stay out of my way is what I've been told. I'm glad to learn more about this stuff. On meds I thought I was fine, but clearly still have these symptoms. I'm going to the pdoc today. This is all very eye opening. I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't like this, and I'm almost 34 now. It's all very overwhelming to understand. How do you know when it's not the disease that's making you happy or angry? or depressed?

[madisgram]

Originally Posted by Abyssal

What exactly is racing thoughts? can someone elaborate?

racing thoughts...for me it's when i can't shut down thinking. this happens a lot when i want to try to sleep at night. my mind is still working on overtime. not really connecting thoughts just running around in my head. it's such a distraction i can't sleep.

[Anneinside]

Originally Posted by wingin'it

. A verbal kaleidoscope.

Excellent explanation!

[music junkie]

Originally Posted by Forgive77

How do you know when it's not the disease that's making you happy or angry? or depressed?

this is what i would absolutely love to know. i don't know when my feelings are actually my own feelings anymore. i think it just makes my moods worse.

[mac122800]

Originally Posted by Pink_Lotus

For me hypomania feels good at first, just like being really happy. But gets eventually unbearable. I'd say people notice that I'm hyper, even I notice it. Joking around excessively, getting to the point that people start to think I'm acting weird or even a little scary. Writing five hour long emails, essays, or researching anything that catches my eye, all night. Feeling like I'm having some kind of mental epiphany or breakthrough, like I'm figuring everything out, everything suddenly makes sense, even though if I look back at the things I thought or wrote after the fact it clearly doesn't. Deciding to leave the country after having stayed up all night making mixed tapes. Forgetting to eat or drink. Can't sit still, walking around in circles, cleaning the entire house. Taking on waaaay too much and breaking down because I can't get everything done, going between five different organizing jobs and all of them getting worse instead of better until there is stuff everywhere. Getting angry at everyone, for everything. And the downward spiral begins. I end up with mixed episodes, highly agitated and depressed at the same time, extreme anxiety and sometimes delusions or paranoia (my room mate is purposely giving me diseases and is going through my things, I have been bugged, I'm in an experiment and everyone is in on it, etc.), hallucinations uncommon usually from the sleep deprivation, insomnia and endless thought loops that literally drive me insane... I don't know how else to describe it. It's a really, really terrible feeling. That's what Seroquel is for, and I must say it does a damn good job of keeping me alive. It's the best thing I've had, the biggest part of a cocktail that's working well.

This is a very good description, and for the first time, I actually realized, and saw the pattern in myself. I was diagnosed 3 years ago, and am still not really sure as to the determination of my cycles.