[usbusi]

Does anyone get unwanted impulses?

I don't get it all of the time, and not with family members, but with others I might have a bit of social anxiety with -- the public -- I get worried I would do something outrageous and "mental" such as spit on someone or ranting out loud or something. Which the fear of doing so then causes a little anxiety. Like tonight at the movie theatre, there were only about 10 people, I had those two impulses.

I can control my impulses so I don't think I have Impulse Control Disorder (just read about that.) But the impulses are there and are unwanted. I wonder if it's the Abilify or just another part of having BP as I don't remember having them earlier in life, not even during most of my years diagnosed with BP. The Wikipedia page on ICD does mention it can be comorbid with mood disorders (among other disorders.)

Other impulses I have which may be more common are the impulse to drive the car off a cliff or some high bridge or something. I have had that impulse for quite some time, like for 27 years, and way before any psychiatric diagnosis.

[BipolaRNurse]

Same here! I've had those impulses as far back as I can remember, though I've never acted on them. I remember being in Hawaii on the 18th floor of a hotel, looking over the balcony and wondering what it would be like to jump. (I wound up tossing fruit from the basket in the room to watch it explode on the sidewalk....quite entertaining, at least until I realized I could kill somebody by dropping a pineapple on their head from that distance.)

TBH, I hate those thoughts and they scare me, but since I've been on meds I have them much less frequently than I used to.

[Doxie mom]

I get a lot of unwanted impulses when I am driving and someone ticks me off. I fantasize about pulling them out of the car and beating them senseless. I have gotten out of the car and challenged people on several occasions but maybe they see the crazy in my eyes. Plus it is silly I have never been in a physical altercation I would probably get my head handed to me on a platter. Those urges are strong now but I am unstable on meds so they are worse plus it seems like everyone is getting more rude on the road or I am getting more crazy .

[bluemountains]

Same problem here. Jumping off of high spots is one that is recurring since I grew up in the mountains and there are lots of overlooks. I also have impulses of hurting myself or someone else quite often in various ways.
Bluemountains

[southpole]

Woah. I get that too. Is that part of BP??

I always get weird impulses like, what would happen if I swerved my car into that cyclist? What would happen if I suddenly switched the engine off whilst driving 80mph? A lot of driving related ones actually. For a while there I was always envisioning smashing my car into things or running off the road and had to keep reminding myself that I was in control of these impulses.

And yes also to the thoughts about jumping off high places. I can't ever go near the edge of cliffs because that impulse is really strong.

It seems like many others experience this too. I get these sort of impulses when I'm out and especially when I'm driving although I don't act on the dangerous ones and usually don't act on any of them.

[faerie_moon_x]

I get unwanted impulses too. Like... mean ones. I don't act on them and I hate them. I get intrusive thoughts, too. They are usually mean thoughts. I am not mean and I don't like it at all.

I'm not on abilify (Have really bad reaction to it,) so I don't know.

[thickntired]

I get these as well and I asked my pdoc about it, she said it was partly caused by OCD.

[southpole]

Originally Posted by thickntired

I get these as well and I asked my pdoc about it, she said it was partly caused by OCD.

Interesting. I am very obsessive (I guess OCD withoutfull blown compulsions) so that would make sense to me.