[Angry1541]

I do this a lot....don't notice I am swinging, even though I know pretty well what the signs are....hmm...

Thoughts

Right on. My mood swings are like of the "in your face" kind. I can't but help to notice, even though I do have them sneak up on me every now and then. It's like they would breeze right over my head till after awhile something in my head clicks and I go "aaaah no wonder..."

[Justugh]

it is the self effect .......u know what it is other ppl u can call it but in your own self your super ego overrides the logical mind so seeing it yourself is impossible

it is one of the reason doctors are not allowed to self treat or treat family members

it is like what u see in the mirror u see something completely different then what we see u as your ego and super ego see tell u something other then what we see(major reason for eating disorders ) it is all self image no one has perfect 20/20 sight it goes one way or the other love to much hate self

it is impossible otherwise i would of figured it out in 15 years of looking for a method .....so u need close friends and family u can relay on and tell u when stuff is out of whack for yah ( the ones that knew u before crazy are your golden buddies they know what normal should be for u )

[Gray Rider]

I always notice going down, but never up.

[~Christina]

I chart my moods... It helps me see a possible problem before it gets outta control. Many people use an app on there phone or plain pen and paper works to.

Takes me 2 mins a nite to do, Simple

[pepper2009]

I catch the highs but for some reason, not the lows. Weird.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I chart mine but Im still learning how best to interpret what I chart. I cycle so much its hard for me to see it coming. I remain hopeful I will catch on.

Mood charting for the win!

[jacky8807]

I dont chart but if i did i know i would only do it stable. Depressed i would feel like whats the point and hypomanic i would feel like why??? I feel great! Im cured!
Mixed or manic i wouldnt even be in my right mind

[Resident Bipolar]

I can almost always feel an episode coming on. It doesn't put me at a more advantageous position to control the decline, however.

[kmptrgeek]

I've been charting my moods daily for a year and a half, but a few months ago I was charting myself as being in a very depressed state...but when I spoke to my therapist she told me I was the exact opposite. When we talked about the symptoms it made so much sense. Then I started thinking I have no freaking idea what state I'm in...and that bottomed me out. I actually had my first full on anxiety attack because I missed my mood so drastically. I'm still not over the miss...and still wonder if I'm really tracking the truth or not. It's a total loss of control for me...and that's not good.

[LettinG0]

Originally Posted by Gray Rider

I always notice going down, but never up.

Oh, me too! I thought I was the only one around who couldn't figure out the ups... I only ever recognize the hypo when I start crashing. Thanks so much for sharing this thought.

[LettinG0]

Originally Posted by kmptrgeek

Then I started thinking I have no freaking idea what state I'm in...and that bottomed me out.

I haven't started charting yet....and your statement above is exactly why. I have such a hard time describing and quantifying states and moods that it overwhelms me to even think about charting. I know it is something I need to do....I am just still so stuck in spin cycle that I can't seem to move forward with the things that I know I need to do.

[gloamingone]

I charted for a while and probably should still be doing it. My mood swings have been pretty noticeable, but I don't always see triggers for the ups. And I guess I don't see the ups until I'm smack in the middle of one. Downs are a piece of cake for me since most of my life I had a unipolar depression diagnosis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A502-846]

Originally Posted by Angry1541

I do this a lot....don't notice I am swinging, even though I know pretty well what the signs are....hmm...

Thoughts

sometimes the sun is eclipsed by the moon

[BipolaRNurse]

I rarely catch the signs of an upward swing until I'm in the middle of it. On the other hand, I can see a depressive episode coming from a hundred miles away. I'm glad I'm not unique in that way.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by AlwaysChanging2

Right on. My mood swings are like of the "in your face" kind. I can't but help to notice, even though I do have them sneak up on me every now and then. It's like they would breeze right over my head till after awhile something in my head clicks and I go "aaaah no wonder..."

Agreed -- normally my wife points out to me after a day or two that I have been manic lately or depressed...I just see it as productive or tired.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I chart my moods... It helps me see a possible problem before it gets outta control. Many people use an app on there phone or plain pen and paper works to.

Takes me 2 mins a nite to do, Simple

THis requires that you remember to use it and follow through with it....which I never do.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by Resident Bipolar

I can almost always feel an episode coming on. It doesn't put me at a more advantageous position to control the decline, however.

Yeah...my changes are almost always prefaced by a period of high anxiety -- but while in that phase I never tag for what it is...maybe it's denial of problem at.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by kmptrgeek

I've been charting my moods daily for a year and a half, but a few months ago I was charting myself as being in a very depressed state...but when I spoke to my therapist she told me I was the exact opposite. When we talked about the symptoms it made so much sense. Then I started thinking I have no freaking idea what state I'm in...and that bottomed me out. I actually had my first full on anxiety attack because I missed my mood so drastically. I'm still not over the miss...and still wonder if I'm really tracking the truth or not. It's a total loss of control for me...and that's not good.

Yup....and to make matters worse for me, I can go from manic to depressed to manic again pretty quickly. either that or I am being crazy productive to stave off my feelings of depression...hmm....see what I mean....when I think about it too much I get all turned around... I feel you man!!! I truly do!

[kmptrgeek]

Originally Posted by Angry1541

Yup....and to make matters worse for me, I can go from manic to depressed to manic again pretty quickly. either that or I am being crazy productive to stave off my feelings of depression...hmm....see what I mean....when I think about it too much I get all turned around... I feel you man!!! I truly do!

I'm a rapid cycler too. And lately I've been lucky to experience several mixed state days in a row. 3 hours of sleep, don't need it, going 100 mph with awesome ideas...and crying when Wilson floats away at the same time. It's like a cruel joke.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by kmptrgeek

and crying when Wilson floats away at the same time.

Yeah...I was getting teary yesterday watching Parks and Rec....*sigh*

Yeah. I tend to sleep alright, but only because my wife is in bed and I read in bed which is instant knockout medicine for me...but I could stay up until 2-3 am working on my music sleep a few hours and get to work pretty easily.

Thanks fully my manic states are generally medium level hypo in nature. My depression on the other hand is full blown.

[kmptrgeek]

Originally Posted by Angry1541

Thanks fully my manic states are generally medium level hypo in nature. My depression on the other hand is full blown.

I've only had 2 documented manic episodes. Most of myomere are hypo. And I've gone several months in deep depression...before I hit the wall and was put in the hospital and finally diagnosed. I thought I was just moody.

[Velouria]

This happened to me just yesterday. I went from perfectly okay to supreme agitation and anxiety, lashing out, *****y, full of fire.

I explained to a personal friend of mine that when this happens to me, things really do feel as though they're going smoothly, and then suddenly my brain is just like BOX OF SLAPS. I'm, as the Pink Floyd song "One of My Turns" goes, "Cold as a razor blade, tight as a torniquette.."

I still can't figure out how to prevent myself from at least reacting to those feelings, let alone anticipate when they'll ignite.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by Velouria

This happened to me just yesterday. I went from perfectly okay to supreme agitation and anxiety, lashing out, *****y, full of fire.

I explained to a personal friend of mine that when this happens to me, things really do feel as though they're going smoothly, and then suddenly my brain is just like BOX OF SLAPS. I'm, as the Pink Floyd song "One of My Turns" goes, "Cold as a razor blade, tight as a torniquette.."

I still can't figure out how to prevent myself from at least reacting to those feelings, let alone anticipate when they'll ignite.

I struggle with this a lot....some days it takes all my willpower to not just explode and I know what I am about explode about is my problem, not whomever is triggering me. But once it pops no holds are barred...it's all out verbal warfare and I aim to win, at all costs...I will say the most hurtful and directly pointed thing just to hurt that person, before gabapentin I would have this happen for a few days straight. Just pure rage.

Afterwards my wife (most often my target) will sit with me and we will work out that most everything I spouted off were things that I was not dealing with well myself....almost word for word.

and then it's gone just like that and I slip into depress or hypo state.

[Angry1541]

Originally Posted by kmptrgeek

I've only had 2 documented manic episodes. Most of myomere are hypo. And I've gone several months in deep depression...before I hit the wall and was put in the hospital and finally diagnosed. I thought I was just moody.

People call me high strung, cuz I think deal with my moods in a kinetic fashion...I am moving around a lot, noisy, disruptive, etc, unless I am hypomanic, then I am more focused on my work and driven to get things done...and flying high on making decisions and being a mover and shaker.

Wonder how much of my feelings of being an integral part of my team are mine alone? Ha! Who cares...I guess... not gonna change anything knowing that.