[festidump]

I´ve battled with moderate to severe depression on and off for years. The idea of mania only actually made sense to me within the last 24 hours as I got a bipolar diagnosis today and things are falling into place so much more as I read the posts in this section of the forum rather than just in the depression forum (No disrespect, they have pulled me out of hell too and I am eternally grateful for their help and support).

As I´ve no clue at all about what would constitute a manic episode as I´m only just coming to terms with the fact that I have them, how can I prevent one in the future? I´m booked in for weekly, hour long sessions with a therapist and luckily they can last as long as I need them to. Neither of us want to discuss meds at this point and we both agree that trying to manage it via understanding it should be tried to exhaustion point first.

So, if I find it difficult to recognise myself slipping into depression until I´ve hit the bottom of the well and I´ve suffered from depression for 20 odd years, how on earth do I start to recognise the onset of something I didn´t know I had and have no clue what it feel like to begin an episode?

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to read this and reply. It really does help me and I appreciate you xxx

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

You are telling my story!!!! I was diagnosed just 6 weeks ago. I've always been treated for severe depression and anxiety. My diagnosis came when my husband went with me to my pdoc. He described what happens before episodes of mania. I had no idea because to me, I was just acting normal but just happy and excited. I still don't see it but now I look to my husband and son to let me know when they see the change. I'm curious what everyone's response will be.

[Moogieotter]

Easiest litmus like test for me is my sleep cycle. If I'm sleeping overnight at least 8 hours, I'm well. If I'm not sleeping, but this lack of sleep energizes me, I'm in trouble.

Other big symptoms: a flood of "brilliant" ideas and other grandiosity. Pressured speech and engaging wit and charm that I cannot control. Toying with ideas that I have special powers or insightfulness that others do not. etc.

Welcome to PC Bipolar Land!

moogs

[~Christina]

I'm cruising along ......basically stable and at my baseline and then "hypomania" hits and the world is shiney, full of bright colors, my normal optimism is magnified x a billion, It's glorious!

I'm aware I am hypo.. Sometimes it last a good while and sometimes its just days and when I hit "mania" typically with in a couple days its turns ugly, angry, I get rage-y at most every thing ,my already ridiculous Insomnia goes from a couple hours a night if I am lucky, to No sleep for days and days which has led me sometimes to a trip in the land of psychosis, that never ends well

Not all "mania" is happy rainbow, puppies...

[Crazy Hitch]

Welcome to this forum here too

Great to see you here!

I still learn daily and its awesome keeping up with members on this forum because I can relate to so much of what they say.

Mania for me is no fun.

Sure, the hypomania can feel great - energy, feel good mood, positive - oh everything's a bunch of sunshine ...

But

Mania for me is destructive, impulsive, poor decisions ... I'm all round pretty damn reckless when I'm manic!

hypo is glorious. i will agree. mania for me is great fun at first, but i dont sleep. after about day 5, my moods change and i get irritable, i see things, i hear thing (im schizoaffective) and just go into full on rage mode where i cant keep my mouth shut, i rip people apart verbally, im paranoid, and im energetically suicidal and destructive. i am aware of what is happening but i have no real control on it.

[festidump]

thanks everyone :-)

[Nix]

I also have trouble recognizing mania and a lot of my symptoms/problems. When I look at lists of what mania is supposed to entail, I don't really see myself. But adult members of my family have helped because they see me differently than I see myself. I've also listened to a lot of the members here as they've described their symptoms/problems and recognized that some of those same things happen to me. Overall, for me, other people's assessment is sometimes more valuable than my own, at least for now. I hope that will change.

[Capriciousness]

Mania is hard for me to tell too. My personality is kind of manicky so it can be hard for me to pick out when and where the real mania/hypomania starts or started. I am learning.

Welcome!