[ishy]

As some of you are aware already, I've got drug induced mania for the past three weeks since I've come off meds. The last thing I bought was about three days ago. But I'm not sure if I bought it when I was manic or normal. Today my mum and I went shopping and I wanted to buy clothes. My mum felt really irritated by it all. There was this one top I wanted to buy and she was like "you don't even like sequin tops!".

[moremi]

Do you like sequen tops on a normal day? I find after coming down i have bought some things i usually wouldnt have. Things I usually wouldnt buy, not my taste. Ive even forgotten i bought them and wanted to know why another womans clothes were in my house.

[ishy]

Originally Posted by moremi

Do you like sequen tops on a normal day? I find after coming down i have bought some things i usually wouldnt have. Things I usually wouldnt buy, not my taste. Ive even forgotten i bought them and wanted to know why another womans clothes were in my house.

I wouldn't buy clothes like that, and I particularly don't spend £35 on tops without an ounce of guilt. I've even bought silver, but I don't like silver. Right now I've got an obsession with it.

[moremi]

Oh you sound just like me. Last year I got stuck on buying purses obsessively, then it was boots, and not cheap at all. Its just part of what we do try to save receipts and leave tags on. I have a habbit of taking all tags off when i get home. There have been counless buying obsessions for me.

I also find thing I've bought and don't remember. Leaving tags on is a good idea. Last time I was manic I bought two large flat screens, apparently I didn't like the first one so I bought a second, in cash. I normally don't make even small purchases without careful consideration. Luckily I was able to return the tv.

I too get obsessed with certain things, and feel the need to collect every single item I come across. But when I come down, these are usually things I don't need, will not use, or don't like. I'm on a very tight budget and thank god I don't have credit cards, but I still manage to cause financial hardship while manic. Since I don't drink or anything of that nature, the shopping has to be one of the most damaging symptoms for me. It's like an obsessive compulsion that just takes over, when "normal" me is pretty frugal.

[moremi]

Originally Posted by Anika

I also find thing I've bought and don't remember. Leaving tags on is a good idea. Last time I was manic I bought two large flat screens, apparently I didn't like the first one so I bought a second, in cash. I normally don't make even small purchases without careful consideration. Luckily I was able to return the tv.

I too get obsessed with certain things, and feel the need to collect every single item I come across. But when I come down, these are usually things I don't need, will not use, or don't like. I'm on a very tight budget and thank god I don't have credit cards, but I still manage to cause financial hardship while manic. Since I don't drink or anything of that nature, the shopping has to be one of the most damaging symptoms for me. It's like an obsessive compulsion that just takes over, when "normal" me is pretty frugal.

We sounmd very much alike...

[~Christina]

The only real Manic symptom i have that im aware of is self harm ... well that and arguing with my husband over stupid things that dont matter . I have no credit cards and hubby takes care of the finances in this house ,, thank goodness especial nnow ,,becasue some days i know if i had money i would go buy something to make myself feel better lol

[Anneinside]

Although risky behavior is one of the symptoms of mania, self-harm (if you mean cutting or something like that) is not.

[~Christina]

Hmmmm when I have been manic I tend to internalize I dont get all happy and god like ,,I tend to hurt myself .. My T said altho its not common he has seen others being manic showed same traits ie cutting, increase in ED disorders

I guess everyone is differant on how there moods... good, bad or ugly show up in individuals

Although I feel elated and god like when my mania first starts to take flight, it almost always climbs to a point that is less than pleasurable in any way. Usually lasting for months. The anorexia does become much more severe during a manic phase.

It is not uncommon for mania to become a more horrendous feeling rather than pure elation, this I gather from talking to people with similar experiences. One interesting thing to note is that before I was medicated the mania was much more pleasurable. Now it's to the point where it's horrible, psychosis is almost immediate, along with psychomotor agitation, and the racing thoughts are extremely fragmented. Now is this an outcome of medication, or is it the kindling theory in motion? Or it could just be that what starts of as pure mania, takes a turn for dysphoric mania, which I could see, but why the change.

[venusss]

I recently realized that I mostly shop when manic or depressed (as retail therapy). So you can imagine how my waredrobe looks like (lots of vivid colors. and animal prints. Pink leopard print always seems a good idea when manic. When depressed I often grab just whatever or things I feel I "should" own). But I can pretend I have a style, right? Lucky for me most stores here are boring. If I lived in Rome or New York I would be in trouble, because I would actually find clothes that much my crazy imagination in stores.

[MissMousey]

Oh...the things I find I've bought after being manic...not good! Sadly I've gotten myself into a very deep debt hole because of this illness and right now things are looking pretty scary financially. I can't even get my medication this month...no money...no available credit...NO HOPE! (not sleeping due to lack of meds isn't great either...my moods are all over the place...not good...not good at all...I feel like the roller coaster has gone haywire and wonder when it will crash???)

[AniManiac]

I definitely do some manic spending. I'm less impulsive about it than I could be - I try really hard to be rational about purchases - but whether I can afford them or not is something else.

Usually it's online spending, which is slightly more dangerous (to me) but what I typically do is obsessively work through the clearance sales for EMS, REI, LL Bean and sometimes J Jill. The good thing about sticking to clearances is that there are usually only a few clothes in my size, so that reduces the likelihood that I'll buy silly stuff I wouldn't wear. I must justify my purchases somehow (I remain aware of my distressingly high credit balances and low income) so I really just end up spending a ridiculous amount of time on it rather than a ridiculous amount of money. I also shop the thrift stores, but there aren't very many of those in my area, so that also reduces the overall spending but increases the likelihood of bringing home weird things.

Last time I got hypomanic (but not cycling from med shifts) I got into this really intense clean-out mode inspired by The Minimalists. I got rid of literally hundreds of items, mostly clothes I can't wear anymore and didn't expect I could wear in the next year. So that was a good anti-shopping move. When I'm not manic, I'm pretty frugal about buying more stuff because the more stuff you have, the more space you need, and the more there is to take care of and store, plus clutter makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by ishy

.... There was this one top I wanted to buy and she was like "you don't even like sequin tops!".

Well, if your mom does know your style and said that, it could well be true that you're operating in manic mode! I have made OMG ridiculous choices when hypo. One thing in particular I almost kept just to remind myself how bad it can get. This thing was utterly ridiculous, hideous and the complete opposite in style and color to anything I'd be caught dead wearing! WTH was I thinking?! I wasn't! But ooooh how I craved it at the time (it was Ebay, which has been big trouble for me) It was actually two colors both of which I hate. Good grief. There are many many other examples, but that one really took the cake.

Originally Posted by AniManiac

... I got into this really intense clean-out mode inspired by The Minimalists. I got rid of literally hundreds of items, mostly clothes I can't wear anymore and didn't expect I could wear in the next year. So that was a good anti-shopping move. When I'm not manic, I'm pretty frugal about buying more stuff because the more stuff you have, the more space you need, and the more there is to take care of and store, plus clutter makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Too funny. I do this too. Swing to both extremes. Either, I'm buying stuff or totally getting rid of things down to bare bones. Many's the time I've wanted to just throw (and I mean throw!) stuff out on the curb, because I can't get rid of it fast enough. I've surmised 2 reasons. One, I've got a really strong anti-clutter streak and two, to get rid of the evidence(!) I have given so much away just to get it out of sight. As for justifying purchases? At the time it seems perfectly justified! Ha! There are two things that have helped me curb the hypo buying. One, having zippo money (and no credit card) and two, being aware now that I do this. I never questioned it before. Now, if I catch it early, I try to question thoughts that run through my head (One in every color? Seriously? You wear 95% black! Aha, this is a clue. Stop now!)

[Beebizzy]

When I am hypomanic I get obsessed with a certain topic of interest and buy EVERY book there is on the topic.

I used to think "spending" had to involve outrageous amounts of money to be manic spending. But I guess not. It could mean spending more than you have (if this is out of character in the first place), and it could be the quality of spending - for example, are you frenzied and driven and frantic (yes), do you go crazy over one shop/e-shop (yes), do you have to have all of a certain thing (yes), do you end up in a position where you could open your own shop (yes) and so on.

During my last hypomanic episode I ruthlessly and frenetically purged my apartment of any non-essential pieces of paper (old bills etc). I replaced all the lightbulbs and bought about 50 additional ones. BUT in order to change the lightbulbs I decided I had to have my own stepladder (I couldn't simply borrow the one downstairs, no no). So I bought a stepladder and since I don't have a car I somehow carried it home through all the streets. And now I have this huge thing (I got the biggest and best of course) in my small apartment standing there like an eyesore. Sigh. Why couldn't I have bought a nice plant or something?

[tattoogirl33]

Ebay is my worst enemy when manic... otherwise I just stay away from it. But I have many rings that I would just NEVER wear! Ugh!