Indicator of Mania

What are the first most early symptoms of a Manic or Hypomanic episode for you?
I toss-and-turn in bed a lot while my muscles tense up and colors appear more vividly.

chatty, more energy...then irritated and irritable...writing more, but un-focused...big dreams, inability to follow through on anything simple, nothing at all...more religiosity (I am a Christian, but...there's a point at which one shifts into a state of excess...)...

...I need more cigarettes. I need/want less sleep. I seriously stop and think about swiping an upper from a family member.

Then I sleep, usually too much...and I'm back to normal-ish.

Good question, btw.

Omg I'm going through this right now. Haven't slept in two days and it feels like every muscle in my body is tensing up on me which makes it impossible to relax. That and I get sensitive to sounds. Today my bird was talking and screeching and I would cringe! Then from lack of sleep I think I hear stuff like a phone ring when everyone's here is on silent. I even woke my bf up and said "answer your phone!" He looked at me like I was nuts. Needless to say I am definitely calling pdoc first thing in the morning! At least to get in to see a nurse. Hope you get over this feeling. I was in tears today because I was just so exhausted.

When I am manic everything seem like a good idea just because the idea came from me, I become vain and impulsive. (I have done stupid things that sounded sane) I need almost no sleep I never feel very sleepy and I really try to sleep it turns into a massive ordeal that i usually give up on.

My thoughts run through my mind a mile a minute, I blurt things out without being able to think it through beforehand because everything is going so fast. I philosophize about things with people, interrupt them, and think I'm the most brilliant person in the world. I not only sleep little, I don't feel the NEED for much sleep (and I think this is one of the hallmarks, if you take a serious nap after a sleepless night, you're probably not hypo).

Each and every color and texture is magnified and utterly beautiful, I want to smell and touch flowers and leaves and blankets and clothing and everything.

When hypo (and all of the above is hypo, not mania) I tend to get mildly paranoid. My anxiety melts away, as do my inhibitions. I sometimes get hypersexual; I've barhopped just looking for someone to sleep with.

But then things can and sometimes do go wrong. The mild paranoia turns to full blown paranoia. Light is unbearable as is sound, which feels magnified exponentially. I become very irritable (mostly related to the paranoia) and I blurt out inappropriate things (usually related to the paranoia). The fast thinking and moving change to not being able to be still, to being still being excruciating, feeling like bugs are crawling inside of me. The previous rapid fire thinking which had my ideas so honed and focused (or so it seemed) then becomes so bad I can't focus on anything.

At its worse, I start to become delusional, I look at myself in the mirror and don't see myself, I feel like my-self has been broken into a million shards. I feel like I can do anything and do very risky things. Once it gets this bad, it's terrifying and this part I'd call full blown mania, not hypomania.

I also can't sit still. I'm in my room watching tv and when a commercial comes on I get up and just wander around the house. I go in the living room and talk my bfs ear off! I know he's annoyed lol. I told him if I can't get in to see someone tomorrow and still not sleeping then I might go to IP. He's all for it lol.

This is a good question and I'm seeing myself a bit in the answers. I think I get argumentative but in the spirit of exchanging ideas. I feel very clever and I'm pretty impressed by how clever I am. I try to stay grounded but I can't because the clever thoughts keep catching up to me first. Usually the first thing I notice is my sleep is off....the rest changes from episode to episode but energy is always high and thoughts are rapid and inconsistent. My early warning signs usually start with someone saying "you seem excited" or something along those lines.

Increased nicotine usage
Stronger desire for caffeine
More rapid rate of speech
Easier irritability
Pessimistic attitude
Decline in verbal inhibition
Aggressive urges

My list could really go on for awhile.

Increased anger and agitation aswell as increase in smoking.

The smoking is out of control....I'm smoking 2 packs a day!!!

Waking up constantly in the middle of the night, more irritable than usual (i'm always irritable though), and getting really interested and fixated on certain things.

Me too . And I can't stop coughing stuff up because of it. Gross. I wish I could quit.

Lack of sleep, racing thoughts, restlessness. Sometimes I get focused on something and work on it for hours on end. Usually more cheerful and chatty.

Hypomania: increased confidence, beginning to become more impulsive, hypersexuality, more talkative, too many ideas, racing thoughts, a lot of plans, feeling "sharp" in the beginning (but less organized as the episode continues), no need for much sleep, elation, creativity

Mania: Racing thoughts, hypervigilence/anxiety, agitation, insomnia, judgment is poor, I become more impulsive, sometimes paranoia, irritability (especially when others doubt my judgment or choose to not help me with my "big plans")

Hypomania is when I get chatty, feel like I could jog to Texas and back, am super productive around the house, colors become more vivid, shopping becomes an issue, and I have big plans that I can't understand why everyone else is not as enthusiastic as I am.

Mania is an entirely different animal. I become hostile and post angry political screeds on Facebook and argue my point of view endlessly and I get paranoid, thinking the neighbors are spying on me. Sometimes I even have religious delusions, believing I've been chosen by God to do something spectacular for humankind. I am agitated and can't stop pacing. Thoughts race so fast that they're incoherent and my speech is very rapid and tangential. It's not pretty.

I don't sleep, feel restless/jittery, pace around, and start talking fast/pressured speech. Probably have some other things too.

Decreased need for sleep
Increased agitation
Fast talking
Increased energy
Shop more not caring how much I spend
More spiritual (I'm Agnostic)
Irritable
Angry for no reason
Racing thoughts

The list could go on...

Argueing with written texts, especially by long dead people, urge to spin and twirl while walking, being even more insomniac than usual.

I start to think more and pace and then I giggle and then heterosexuality is my main alert that I am becoming more manic soon.

I get super interest in sex extremely uninhibited in my talking. I become more open minded about same-sex sex.😂 I am glad that I am not the only person.

I smoke like its going out of style. Irritable. My god the littlest thing could set me off. I also think for whatever reason everyone is mad at me.

The need to smoke is unreal. I'm going out half as often as I want to go.....it's making me nutty!!!!!

Insomnia
My racing thoughts are my first symptom that scares the *** out of me. I know that if I don't act fast I'm headed IP.
Sexually thoughts and urges
Reckless driving
Shopping spree
I think I'm the most beautiful woman on earth
Grandiose thinking