[Secretum]

It came to me today that medical research on our disorder has completely the wrong focus and goal. Everyone is trying to develop the drug that best keep us in a normal, euthymic mood state with minimal side effects. So far, even the best attempts often fail on both points, as most of us on this board can attest.

Bipolar research should be focusing on finding a way to stabilize us at a mild, harmless, euphoric hypomania! Med compliance issues would disappear; nearly any side effect would be a small price to pay for constant elation. It would be good for the economy, as all of us bipolars would be both spending more and creating new wealth with the businesses we would start. It would be the best win-win situation ever! Haha

Some may argue that keeping us in a (harmless, functional) hypomanic state would be "enhancement" rather than medical treatment, but I disagree. "Enhancement" gives people the ability to function at levels that they naturally couldn't achieve. Constant hypomania would just allow us to function at our personal best.

Who is with me?

[AniManiac]

All the way, sister! I'd try that medication!

[roads]

Originally Posted by Secretum

Constant hypomania would just allow us to function at our personal best.

Who is with me?

Roadrunner! Roadrunner!!

OH yeah!

[venusss]

I always wondered why the doctors are so paranoid about hypomanias... I am not sure if I would want to be always hypo. Or if those around me would want be to be always hypo, because I can get bit annoying

[Lauru]

I'll take it if they're dishing it!!

Oh Secretum, I'd definatly be in !!!!

I read a book recently called " The Hypomanic Edge" The link between a little crazyness and a lot of Success in America by John D. Gartner. It was very interesting.

[faerie_moon_x]

Not me. But I have dysphoric mania (even hypo,) so I would need something else.

[Tosspot]

i've been trying to convince my doc that i don't need to be in the "normal" range of emotion, slightly above would be great! here comes the antipsychotics...

[tattoogirl33]

That would be sooooooooo wonderful!! Ahhhhhhhhhh,, like a breath of fresh air!

[~Christina]

Sign.Me.Up.

[Charlie_J]

Why, I'd... I'd sell my soul for such a thing! Where do I sign? Does it need to be in blood?

Has anyone got a pin... pen...? Pan?

Just kidding. It would be marvellous, though. I'd be happy, other people would be happy, I'd be politically active a larger percent of the time so there's a chance more of the world would be happy. There wouldn't be any losers.

[venusss]

Okay, peeps this is startin' to sound wee bit dystopic.

Brave New World and Soma? We know how it worked. Happy isn't all there is. And being happy to be a spending machine? Seriously? Medicating people into being better workers?

I guess I read too many dystopic novels and I grew up on the wrong side of the iron curtain. Yes, we also were shiny happy people over here. No chemistry, fortunatelly, we had to fake it.

And politically active? I think that mild to moderate depression can be much better drving force than happy. I tend to get too optimistic when hypo.... much too for my own liking.


Sorry to rain on everybody's parade.... I personally think that learning to live within wider spectrum of emotions is more beneficial. Yes, including the bad stuff. Because life is not all about happy. I blogge about this some time ago http://venushalley1984.wordpress.com...-of-happiness/

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

Okay, peeps this is startin' to sound wee bit dystopic.

Brave New World and Soma? We know how it worked. Happy isn't all there is. And being happy to be a spending machine? Seriously? Medicating people into being better workers?

I guess I read too many dystopic novels and I grew up on the wrong side of the iron curtain. Yes, we also were shiny happy people over here. No chemistry, fortunatelly, we had to fake it.

And politically active? I think that mild to moderate depression can be much better drving force than happy. I tend to get too optimistic when hypo.... much too for my own liking.

Sorry to rain on everybody's parade.... I personally think that learning to live within wider spectrum of emotions is more beneficial. Yes, including the bad stuff. Because life is not all about happy. I blogge about this some time ago http://venushalley1984.wordpress.com...-of-happiness/

Aw, we can daydream, can't we?

I watched a movie last night called Zenith (well, part of it, before we decided it was rubbish and switched to something else). The premise is a world in 2044 where humans have been genetically engineered to be happy all the time, but it backfired and everyone's numb. So they all seek sensation any way they can with pain being the most coveted feeling, and so there's a huge black market for 30-year-old prescription drugs for their miserable side effects! It was a silly movie, but the premise was interesting. Dystopian, for sure!

Philosophically, I like the Buddhist idea of the "middle path" of balance. But I really enjoy a nice hypomanic high once in awhile. I'm sure it would lose its appeal after awhile if that's all there was, but it's not, and never will be.

[venusss]

Yeah, I love the hypomanias because... they aren't all there is, therefore can be distinquished from other emotion. I realize I feel happy and euphoric. If one felt like that all the time... how would we know we are happy?

[Charlie_J]

And being happy to be a spending machine? Seriously? Medicating people into being better workers?

I'm not sure about anyone else in this thread, but my enthusiasm for the idea is based purely on selfish concerns. I like being happy, like doing things for others that ultimately make me happy.

And politically active? I think that mild to moderate depression can be much better drving force than happy. I tend to get too optimistic when hypo.... much too for my own liking.

Everyone is different. Mild to moderate depression drives me nowhere except to deep depression and then to bed. I like to be capable of living.

Sorry to rain on everybody's parade.... I personally think that learning to live within wider spectrum of emotions is more beneficial. Yes, including the bad stuff. Because life is not all about happy.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy melancholy as much as anyone. Always have, always will. And I've known grief that I wouldn't wish away, even though the experience was harrowing.

I really do see what you're getting at, Venus, but I think welcoming misery in order to be valid is just the opposite extreme.

The question: would you like to be permanently slightly hypomanic?

My answer: yes.

I don't answer yes to life being permanently painless: that's a different thing altogether. I would prefer life to never be dull again. I'd like to feel it all, everything.

[roads]

Well d@*m it all, you two! All this confounded reasonableness & practicality ...

Yes, AniManiac, I too know the benefits of the Buddhist principle of balance. I try to achieve it.

Yes, VenusHalley, I read your blog--and it's true, I need my dose of misery. I can't imagine me without protests. All the dramatically at-odds emotions. 55 yrs I've been protesting ... a lot of us ... accomplished stuff. Not because we were happy ...

Pipe dreams.

Ah! But it would be nice to "borrow" a week of it from the local library, like a DVD. Yeah, how about that?

[Secretum]

A few clarifications:

-the treatment (may or may not be a drug) would only work on people who had (or were very close to having) bipolar. Kind of like how antidepressants often can make us manic, but few non-bipolar individuals have this side effect. So, unfortunately there still would be "losers", because of the treatment was used on people who had never been hypo, it would be enhancement. It also would be considerably more difficult to develop, since it would have to work on 2 sets of people with very different mood experiences.

- Brave New World is one of my favorite books, along with Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. Rest assured that the treatment would be nothing like soma! It would not keep us in a fake, stupid happy state, but rather would give us prolonged mental clarity and the energy to take action when action needs to be taken. Soma was used to deny the massed of their liberty; this treatment would liberate us, both from anyone who claims too much authority over us, and from the cycling which has enchained us.

[venusss]

Well, to me happy is just opposite of being proactive. Would there be revolutions if everybody was happy? We had recently a debate on school web about being driven and moving to far off places versus fullfilling all your dreams and being happy where you are. I just think that dissatisfaction is needed to drive us forward. And I don't want to be happy if there situation is bad.

for me hypomanic... isn't me. I am probably bit bellow the baseline in my normal. And well, I guess this is cultural too.... I joked with somebody the other day about how I fake everything is fine and said that in Czechlands you don't really need to fake, because everybody looks miserable and pissed off all the time. American smile is a negative catchphrase here.

So as much as I enjoy my highs (to the degree of refusing treatment, because I do not want to lose that intensity), they are just one of emotional ranges.... and I much much more prefer to be happy for a reason. Not be all euphoric and yay because I am in stress

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by roadrunnerbeepbeep

Well d@*m it all, you two! All this confounded reasonableness & practicality ...

Yes, AniManiac, I too know the benefits of the Buddhist principle of balance. I try to achieve it.

I can't help it - I'm a dyed-in-the-wool pragmatist!

If y'all knew me IRL, you would know what a joke it is for me to be espousing balance. I'm the last person in the world that anyone would call balanced. Instead they use words like "rock star" and tell me that "if you can't do it, none of us can." Flattering, but only partially accurate - living up to my own reputation is extremely difficult at times, and no one sees that side of the story.

I know I need more balance. But I have to admit, I love living at the extremes, so it's one of the major challenges that I struggle with every day.

[unaluna]

Anybody mind if I make the obvious joke here? Three wise men showed up at your house? Any of 'em interested in running for president in 2016?

[krisakira]

Only as long as it is the GOOD kind of hypomania, Not the agitated kind of crap I deal with a lot

[kj44]

Hmmmm, sounds good, but, I'm not sure if I fit in. Of course I never do!!

[Seaswept]

I'm with you on finding that balance- the chemically induced mild hypo-manic state.
Some people play with their meds to try and get it, I've done it myself. not a good idea, it has backfired every time.