[FlyingD]

I have been long diagnosed with Bipolar (well, of course many things before they figured that out), and now my pdoc finally changed the puter to Bipolar 1. He's known it since he's known me (about two years) but noone else thought to change my actual dx on the puter.
My thing is...mania, obviously at this point. What I don't understand is that for all of these years that I've had this illness, depression has always been my major part of my bipolar. Now it's mania, and I'm not quite sure how to handle it.
I get from my counselor not to do any "risk taking". Of course when I ask what those risks are, and am told, I want to do them!
Any ideas please?

[astan]

I'm really not clear on what your question is...

Why don't you give a little more detail about your history and your current meds along with a more specific question?

[darkeyes]

If you are being treated with proper meds for "Bipolar" you may need a dosage adjustment,change in meds.
Mania can be minimized or nipped, caught in time with proper meds, especially mood stabilizers.
I suggest you contact your pdoc about this, counselars who are not pdocs can just offer a limited amount of help, due to the fact they are not psychiatrists.
Give it a try, call your pdoc, even make an appt., if you feel he or she is not listening, it may be time to seek a new pdoc, one who is more familar with treating Bipolar patients.
Lots of luck with this.

[bizi]

Mania in very very simple terms is the lymbic system out of wack.
Anti-convulsants are helpful in calming down that part of the brain which is responsible for strong emotions.
Also....When manic we can be like a child...pleasure seeking behavior...what ever pleases you could be your trigger.
Some get hyer sexual, hyper shopping/spending money...hyper projects etc.
When manic we have a hard time not being impulsive...this is very child like behavior but we can't help it!
Before we reach mania there is a period of time that we call hypomania...this is the time to nipp it in the bud.
It is a phone call to your pdoc to perhaps tweak your meds abit or maybe be put on a medication to bring you back down to more reasonable behaviors, more thoughtful and adult like.
I hope this doesn't come across wrong...
I have just gone thru this and these things are quite clear this time for me...now come the anxiety and agitation of coming back down...not very pleasant.
hang in there
it does get better.
fall down 7 times get up 8...
bizi

[DaveyJones]

That's what makes bipolar so much FUN!!!! Never a dull moment!

It is pretty commmon to go your whole whole life without a real manic episode only to have one appear out of nowhere. The others have it right, calll your pdoc and adjust meds by adding or increasing a mood stablizer...that is, lithium, Depakote, Lamictal or Seroquel.

In the meantime, don't make any major life decisions, or buy anything out of the blue. Exercise if you can.

I wish you the best!

DJ