recent issues with obsessive behaviors, hypomanic?

I have always had a tendency to "go 100%" in pretty much anything, to the point of obsessiveness. This includes hobbies, interests, research, etc, and most recently being involved in "conspiracy theory" type communities and research. I put that in quotes because it is a derogatory term that was pushed by the CIA after the JFK assassination in order to demoralize independent researchers and color them as "crazy" so the general public wouldn't believe them and would avoid them.

Recently I have been going full on in to researching and over analzying things involving government corruption, censorship, politics, etc. to the point of it negatively affecting my personal and work life.

I feel like this is how my hypomanic episodes now present themselves, and I am just looking for confirmation from those with similar experiences, as I am aware that OCD has a high comorbidity with BP as well as ADHD. I'm not one for turning the lights on and off a certain number of times, but I feel like the energy I put in to going down rabbit holes is of an obsessive nature.

Thoughts on how I can better train myself to recognize when I am over obsessing on something and how to stop it? Are there medicines that people with OCD are prescribed to cut down on that type of mindset or is it more of a brain-training type of thing?

Thank you for any input

I can relate to getting super obsessed with certain things when hypo/manic (somewhere in the criteria, it now lists that getting super involved in "goal-directed activities" is a major sign of mania). I definitely don't have OCD, and my pdoc established this. It's definitely the mania or hypomania.

I have gotten super obsessed with a celebrity when manic. Also, I have a tendency to get obsessed with a certain topic or hobby where I will do tons of research and spend hours doing something late at night, as if it is so important. It is hard to sleep during those times. Certain things become very addictive to me when manic.

I'm sorry that I don't have the answer as far as OCD meds, but I will say that Lamictal helped with some of these behaviors in me, although it still happens to an extent. Seroquel helps with slowing the thoughts down, but I think Lamictal helps the most with this particular problem for me.

I've heard that some SSRI-type antidepressants help with OCD symptoms. Being bipolar, you'll want to be careful with those, but with supervision they could make a difference.

That happens to me too when hypomanic. My last obsession was renovating my home. I was surfing the Home Depot site at night and compiling a binder of things i wanted to do. It was very unrealistic as my home (aside from the flooring which i did eventually pursue) is functional and attractive and in good shape. It was only the fact that the financing took so long to arrange (i was going to use a home equity line of credit) that saved me. By the time the paperwork came thru i was all burnt out and back to depressed and i never did go into the bank to sign the papers. I'm grateful my mobile bank rep was such a dork.

If you don't think your obsession will burn out like mine, it sounds like something to talk to a doctor about. You never know -- they might have just the thing. Your obsession with conspiracy theories sounds to me like John Nash's as portrayed in "A Beautiful Mind." Conspiracy theories can be compelling. A Canadian author i like named Jonathan Kay wrote, "Among the Truthers," a book about conspiracy theorists who think 9/11 was a hoax. Conspiracy theorists seem like fragile geniuses to me! I think they're cool but if it's impacting your functionality it needs a doctor's attention. Hugs, Jane.

"Yes sir!"

Why did you pm me with that???

I do this and then start getting the crazy paranoia that the FBI/whoever I am investigating is coming to kill me and my family. My hypo/mania comes in many forms. Hell, sometimes I'm just a super happy psychic that has the power to heal the sick and forgotten!
Try to keep from going down that rabbit hole because it just gets worse the more you obsess

Um, any input? Okay...

First: I go full-manic when I delve into informed analysis mode and, yes, does feel compulsive. However. One of my diagnoses includes impulsive behaviors and while one has almost nothing to do with the other, they do rhyme and idiots confuse the two frequently.

So, I think that you could be in a manic/compulsive mode. I’m not an OCD person, so I can’t make that connection. I’m the guy who, laying in bed, will toss a piece of paper towards the trash can and, when the paper misses the can and hits the floor, quickly decide to leave the paper on the floor (along with the three others pieces, tossed earlier) until I get out of bed.

Maybe a true OCDer will reply.

Second: This is a kind of Universal Truth... you have a really cool friend and you get along so great, you have so much in common, she gets the Sam Kinison references, but... she’s a giant Star Wars goof-ball. And you saw the first Star Wars in college, whilst stoned, and, well, that’s all you know about Star Wars, even as your friend goes to rallies dressed as a Klingon. The Universal Truth, here, is that you hold tight to your friend even though she’s interested in something that you find, um, somewhat disturbing.

Now I have some strange, but I wouldn’t say disturbing, interests. But - just being honest - I find people interested in conspiracy theories disturbing. Like, maybe, at the top of the disturbing pile. Do you know about confirmation bias? It probably piles up if you, for instance, visit websites where other conspiracy theorists hang out. Conspiracy theories didn’t start with the JFK assassination - I remember my dad talking about the conspiracy theory that posited that FDR ordered the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in order to get the USA into WWII. And Vatican shenanigans have been fodder for conspiracy theories for centuries. The CIA didn’t invent the term - the OED traces it back to 19th century use - and, um, well, psychologically, the interest in these conspiracies can also sometimes be linked to paranoia.

I’m not paranoid but I do have a persecution complex from time to time.

So...

I do feel that in my more manic moments I can act compulsively (and that compulsive behavior might be attributed to the ‘risky behavior’ cited as a symptom of a manic episode) but I don’t know if it’s full OCD. But I don’t know anything about OCD.

And... maybe you could explain why these alternative facts missions beguile you so? I would really like to understand!

When I’m manic, I’m happy. I’m manic right now. If I’m researching the morphology of a Biblical Greek word, for instance, I don’t worry that I’m wasting time overanalysing the word, rather I just go with the flow, happy, happy, happy. Compulsively happy.

From what you’ve written it seems that you’re quite unhappy when researching your subjects. Compulsively unhappy. You’re concerned about the compulsive nature of your activities? And you write of the negative feelings that you have because of this compulsive nature.

If your overindulgence is affecting your work and personal experiences then I would take it up with your therapist (here’s hoping that you have a therapist). I’m fortunate in that 1) I don’t work and, 2) my personal life only comes alive every two months.

I’m anxious to read the other replies. I hope that someone will be able to relate to the OCD. Or not.

Good question!

mania isn't always happy though. My worst psychotic break wasn't me thinking I was jesus (unfortunately) but it was more along the lines of what a schizophrenic would experience and it was Hell. I don't think ocd is a part of it. At least not for me

I tend to become very obsessed when I'm hypomanic. Last time I was obsessed with decorating my apartment, cleaning it, and cutting my hair. I become overly interested in new subjects and hobbies or people and may do research on the internet for hours.

Once I was so obsessed with a friend of mine that my ex partner became seriously jealous and thought I was having a crush. I wasn't having a crush, I was just feeling a deep deep connection between us, it felt like magic, something out of this world.

You PMd me first lol, asking if I was BP2 rather than BP, two weeks ago xD

Thank you for your response and the time you took to reply to my thread! I really appreciate the insight.

I never really thought about impulsivity vs compuslivity in that way, but now that you bring it up, I suppose really more than anything it is obsessive thought patterns, not necessarily impulsive or compulsive in the definitions of the terms. In my light reading on obsessive thoughts it appears that they function as part of a larger anxiety disorder, which I do have. Though, on the Lexapro my social anxiety disappeared, and I guess it is now manifesting in a different way in the form of obsessive behaviors and thoughts.

As far as conspiracy theories go, I know the term itself has been around longer than JFK, but I understood it became more of a forced derogatory term after that time to negate alternate theories of history that may shine a light on some of our Government's decisions/actions. It is very possible it has always been derogatory.

I suppose what drawed me back in to them full force recently was re-discovering Snowden's NSA leaks and looking more in to it. From there it developed in to something like "what else is the government doing behind our backs" and grew legs. I won't get in to specifics, but I do actually kind of care about politics now and am keeping up to date on international news to see how the dynamic of the world is playing out, who the actors are and such.

I will say that there are some things I have discovered in my research that are actually true, and pretty horrible. One would be the Clinton Foundation/Clinton Global Initiative. There is documented proof that both Bill and Hillary and their organization "pay to play" in different developing/suffering nations, where they promise to help their infrastructure, but ultimately they profit a disgusting amount of money. An example being how they seem to preach renewable energy like Wind Farms and Solar Panels, but at the same time they are accepting donations from high up persons and governments in the crude oil business as well as Uranium mining. There is a lot more I could go in to but that's for another thread lol.

I feel ya. When I'm manic I obsess over anything and everything. Most of my recent manias have centered around Conspiracy theories as well. I feel like I can solve them and break the code as they say. But I completely emerge myself into them and will spend hours reading them and on them trying to figure out the truth of them. So I feel you.

I don't suffer from OCD or anxiety, but I have heard they can be causes of the obsession. But my doctor has told me that the obsessive behavior could be do to mania as well. Mine tend to be mania induced because I eventually have the delusion that I can "break the case" as they say.

Pm me if you want to talk about them or this if you need to.

Oops sorry, I'm all over the place lol