Hey all! I was just diagnosed recently (like, last week) with bipolar II. I guess there's a possibility that I may also have BPD and I have pretty bad anxiety also but I dunno if that's just a symptom of the other things or its own separate thing. Anways, if you couldn't tell, I'm new to this whole thing and am interested to know what the bp2 sufferers experience when you are in a hypomanic state??? I am going to be discussing with my therapist all my symptoms thoroughly and in detail starting next week and I am just curious of what I can relate to with other people with this disorder, which kind of gives me an idea of what to go off of. Know what I mean? Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Anneinside]

Some of my symptoms while hypomanic - excessive, compulsive spending; thoughts jumping from one idea to another; very social, even with strangers; telling jokes and making others laugh well beyond the norm; feeling thin and bouncy (I'm about 40 pounds overweight), a grandiose thought; not needing sleep and not feeling tired without it; poor concentration; starting a lot of projects but not getting them done ... that about covers what I can recall.

[BuggsBunny]

Yeah, that pretty much covers me, too, except I don't get hungry, and I like to do high kicks in my living room. (At 47, trying to get a leg, any leg, up that high is a sure sign I'm in trouble!)

[cocoabeans]

The terms mania or hypomania annoy me and I rarely use them. It is just an experience for me but, I guess you coud match symptoms:

No sleep required. I forget or don't bother to eat. No time! Turn out brilliant ideas (not entirely dellusional there, exagerating? Yes.) Have great sex and lots! Do impulsive things you'd never experience otherwise like moving around the world on a whim or quitting your job without fear and entertain people! Colors and sounds get brighter and louder. Yea, you may get anxious, paranoid, terrified but, you know it is only because you're special. Sure, you might start drinking too much and using a whole bunch of drugs and sleeping with who ever, when ever but, so? I always stopped when I was "normal" again. Experiences. I soak 'em up because depression will likely kill me one day.

Fuuuuck yeah, cocoabeans. You sum my experience up perrrfectly.

[lbrown1]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

The terms mania or hypomania annoy me and I rarely use them. It is just an experience for me but, I guess you coud match symptoms:

No sleep required. I forget or don't bother to eat. No time! Turn out brilliant ideas (not entirely dellusional there, exagerating? Yes.) Have great sex and lots! Do impulsive things you'd never experience otherwise like moving around the world on a whim or quitting your job without fear and entertain people! Colors and sounds get brighter and louder. Yea, you may get anxious, paranoid, terrified but, you know it is only because you're special. Sure, you might start drinking too much and using a whole bunch of drugs and sleeping with who ever, when ever but, so? I always stopped when I was "normal" again. Experiences. I soak 'em up because depression will likely kill me one day.

Oh lord you described me to a T!!!! only mine are so freakin rapid!!! its one week to the next sometimes days and other times a few weeks... my goodness.. Im not alone. question? Do u think its dangerous to be really good friends with someone else thats polar.. both of us are not on meds??

[bluemountains]

I have always chosen friends who are like me-maybe not bipolar, but definitely willing to live on the edge at times. It probably has been dangerous considering the choices I made in my younger years. I've definitely made some great, and not so great memories!
Bluemountains

[moremi]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

The terms mania or hypomania annoy me and I rarely use them. It is just an experience for me but, I guess you coud match symptoms:

No sleep required. I forget or don't bother to eat. No time! Turn out brilliant ideas (not entirely dellusional there, exagerating? Yes.) Have great sex and lots! Do impulsive things you'd never experience otherwise like moving around the world on a whim or quitting your job without fear and entertain people! Colors and sounds get brighter and louder. Yea, you may get anxious, paranoid, terrified but, you know it is only because you're special. Sure, you might start drinking too much and using a whole bunch of drugs and sleeping with who ever, when ever but, so? I always stopped when I was "normal" again. Experiences. I soak 'em up because depression will likely kill me one day.

Thats me too! Oh how I miss those days. They should be here anytime now if I cycle the same on meds. Yay! Its like waiting for a long lost lover.

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by lbrown1

Do u think its dangerous to be really good friends with someone else thats polar.. both of us are not on meds??

Based on my experiences, not unless you're both depressed. Then again, my life fails.

[bipolarmedstudent]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

The terms mania or hypomania annoy me and I rarely use them. It is just an experience for me but, I guess you coud match symptoms:

No sleep required. I forget or don't bother to eat. No time! Turn out brilliant ideas (not entirely dellusional there, exagerating? Yes.) Have great sex and lots! Do impulsive things you'd never experience otherwise like moving around the world on a whim or quitting your job without fear and entertain people! Colors and sounds get brighter and louder. Yea, you may get anxious, paranoid, terrified but, you know it is only because you're special. Sure, you might start drinking too much and using a whole bunch of drugs and sleeping with who ever, when ever but, so? I always stopped when I was "normal" again. Experiences. I soak 'em up because depression will likely kill me one day.

I think that sounds more like mania than hypomania?

[cocoabeans]

Well, them doctor people call it hypomania. I got the type twos.

[DaveyJones]

Lbrown,

All I know is I was married to lady who presents as bipolar:mixed (I'm a two) for seventeen years, and it was NOT fun. As a two, I'm chronically depressed, she was very aggressive. We finally had to split up. I'm sure there are those who can manage this; we simply couldn't. Good luck, however you proceed.

My symptoms are excessive spending, starting many projects at once, lack of concentratin, pressured speech and irritability.

Thanks for all of your replies. They are very much appreciated!

Talking a mile a minute about several things at once (switching tracks even more than usual), making connections or word play between them accidently, then pointing it out, repeating it and laughing while I bounce and twist the words playing around some more. Sometimes this is very amusing to people, but often it brings a bewildered look (As in thinking, "WTH is she on about? And/or... WTH is she on?")

The "gatekeeper" has left the building. Thoughts I might otherwise catch myself from saying out loud are said. And they come out sounding weird or as (truly) unintentional double entendres. People don't miss those. Much to my horror.

Originally Posted by BuggsBunny

Yeah, that pretty much covers me, too, except I don't get hungry, and I like to do high kicks in my living room. (At 47, trying to get a leg, any leg, up that high is a sure sign I'm in trouble!)

Haha, Buggs, you crack me up! And reminded me of one... I jump up and down. Over and over and over and over. (And I'm a little older than you, lol!) Just by myself because I have to (can't stay still), or right next to someone. While talking at them (see above). Last time I did this, BF's eyes bugged out and he asked, "What's your psych's number?" Which I replied to by bouncing away laughing, "You can't have it! Hahahahaha!" (He has it now...)

Laughing. Oh yes. Lots and inappropriately.

But... also extremely impatient. Everyone is so excruciatingly slow and stupid!!! And it's not unknown for me to tell them so. NOTHING is fast enough. Not even keyboard keys. Wanting to drive fast. If I'm riding a bike, I don't sit down. Zoom zoom zoom! I can get very aggressive. To see the size of me, you'd laugh. To see me like that, you'd not be laughing. I want to wrestle tigers. And even believe I would probably win. (This can go to pretty scary levels. I can really flip my **** sometimes.)

Wildly creative and completely unaware of the existence of time.

Uhhhh, the usual... buying ridiculous things in multiples and quantity even though I normally hate to shop, undertaking the next big project and having stuff all over the place, cleaning/re-arranging/painting etc, except it's all equally important and NOW, so trying to do everything at the same time, getting 3 steps and seeing a piece of lint on the floor, pick it up, turn and am off to something else in the opposite direction. Stop turn, stop turn with every thought cascading as a waterfall in my mind and of course there are too many. (I'm usually very quiet, but...) Being very sociable and joking like crazy (even with people I don't normally even like(!)), with razor-sharp wit. I'm a flippin' laugh-riot, very intense. I am ON. So bring it on.

But sometimes too bold. Downright rude. If people are wishing someone would get a clue, I'll go right over to Clueless and say it to their face. (Normally I'm intimidated over having to use a phone.) Impulsive for better and for worse (usually worse).

A possessed creative beastie, electric, and kind of a terror. Rather obnoxious really! Lol.

(I'm BP II, but there's nothing subtle about my hypomania, it's kind of out there.)

[blossom12]

In hypomania I just feel SO very happy and in love with the whole world. I feel like I can manage everything life throws at me. Everything is wonderful, everyone is wonderful.

Sometimes there is irritability, sometimes not.

[Secretum]

What it's like for someone with subtler, milder hypomania: Colors seem brighter. Music sounds better than usual. Thoughts are sped up, and occasionally racing. Euphoria takes over my body, fills me with a buzzing electricity. I feel so high; I doubt that most people could achieve that kind of a sense of well-being without drugs. I have a lot of plans for myself and for the world. I fantasize about moving across the globe, though I do not actually do it! I'm slightly more talkative than normal, and I'm likely to propose wild ideas. I feel like I can do anything.