Flashbacks while manic, please help!

This is the very first to happen. I am OK, now being on lithium but of course the symptoms are still there. I still cycle, I sleep less then I sleep more. This evening I was trying to fall asleep without my ambien and I had a flashback of faces, moving quickly - I was in a limbo (between sleep and wake state) - I could only think that the faces were me in my past lives. After a few seconds - it stopped.
What bothers me now is I do not know if this is genuine or my illness! Of course I will never know for sure. One thing is certain being manic, can make people more in tune and insightful,at least this is my experience. I am afraid to tell my pdoc (he might up my lithium). What should I do?

I've had this happen before. I do have PTSD so I get flashbacks. But I have experienced what you described...between wake and sleep. I think it's normal and there is a name for it. Ask your doc if it bothers you.

I get this regularly and I can recognize it when it occurs to me I'm technically still awake but my thoughts are moving freely on their own. Right before I fall asleep.

That said, it doesn't happen when I'm manic because I tend to not sleep during mania.

I don't know if that helped?

Also, Lithium is typically used for mixed episodes and depressive episodes. Not mania. But I'm not a doctor.

Drugs like Geodon, Abilify, Seroquel, etc target mania for bipolar 1. They have been approved by the FDA for depression, too, which I find odd...but just my personal opinion. Antipsychotic like those for depression? No thanks lol. Lithium is a gold standard for depression in bipolar disorder, but I disliked it. It helped me pull out of a mixed episode and I was grateful for that.

I do have mild mixed episodes. I like lithium but it does not make me flat - actually, I do not wish to be flat - I like my ups and my downs - I recharge the energy used while insomniac (I sleep 10 hours at times, but not always.) According to my pdoc, Lithium is used mainly for suppressing the mania but it works (to a lesser extent for depression).

Sounds good

I was also going to suggest PTSD. I have it but without flashbacks. I just get uneasy and anxious around triggers.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup.
If it's between being awake and sleeping, they're called hypnogogic hallucinations.
If it's between being asleep and waking, they're called hypnopompic hallucinations.

If they are either of those, not to worry. They can happen to "normals" too. Also, don't worry about the word "hallucination" in them. They are harmless, and not of the sort we usually talk about. Regardless, they can seem VERY real! (I've even gotten out of bed and walked a bit to touch them! And yes, before I learned of these, their happening freaked me out.)

If they aren't those, or you are otherwise concerned, talk to your Pdoc.

I have the same thing happen at least once a week, though mine are the memories from this life.....I would say these are genuine, and it may get better

Thanks, my therapist told me that meds can induce these visions alone...