[Woolly Bugger]

Within the past week, I have fired off two extremely unwise emails. The first would upset my wife if she ever saw it. The second could get me in a lot of hot water at work. I've been relatively stable and don't feel hypomanic, and yet I fire off these ill-advised messages knowing, as I push send, that I shouldn't do it. What the heck is wrong with me?

I would love to hear any strategies anyone might have to avoid this risky behavior.

[WibblyWobbly]

Are you feeling irritable or agitated at all? That's when I usually give in to similar impulses. I have this problem a lot because I'm pretty isolated right now. I'm left alone with my thoughts and then I get the urge to dump them on someone when I really should just be journaling.

This is a hard one because it's a willpower issue. Are you aware that your emails or texts could get you in trouble before you send them? If so, you have to force yourself to put down your phone or walk away from your computer and leave it until the next day. I usually see differently by then.

If I'm feeling pretty wound up (racing thoughts about what I want to say, really itchy about expressing it) I might take an Ativan PRN to help bring me down.

[99 FAIRIES]

wibbly has good advice.

Taking meds to stop impulse issues and willpower is good advice??? Umm no.

We all do ill advised things at times. It is when it is happening continually that you need to worry, at the moment it is no more than a bad choice. Can you write the emails and make a rule that you dont send anythibg until the next day?

[WibblyWobbly]

Originally Posted by Supanova

Taking meds to stop impulse issues and willpower is good advice??? Umm no.

We all do ill advised things at times. It is when it is happening continually that you need to worry, at the moment it is no more than a bad choice. Can you write the emails and make a rule that you dont send anythibg until the next day?

I talked about being agitated, irritable, racing thoughts. That's what the med is for, not for a regular situation where someone is feeling fine but acting on an impulse. I don't do it all the time, only when I feel like I can't cope otherwise. Some of us are not as far along in our recovery as others and may need to pop a pill every once in awhile to get through and not f up our lives. I was offering my own experience, not pushing pills.

[cashart10]

My problem is that when I send an inappropriate email or sometimes an impulsive post, I will read and read and read it for sometimes hours at a time. A total narcisist about it...just making sure it was okay and that my point got across. It's that narcissism that let's me know that the email or post has been entirely inappropriate. I get stuck in loops. I always wish I could take it back. I have lost friendships, made myself look insane, embarrassed myself more times than I can count and at times, pissed people off.

I don't have much advice I just want you to know you are not alone. For me, walking away seems impossible. I have considdered asking my husband to take away my laptop before when I've been manic and obsessed with someone. He gets angry about the thought and thinks that it is so abnormal but he would do it in a heartbeat if he had to. For me it is an abnormal compulsion to have to tell someone what is on my mind at that exact moment.