[Ralau]

Hello. Anyone else who has obsessive thoughts and/or behaviour when (hypo/)manic?

Usually when I'm high I obsessed about cleaning, buying certain things, planning things or I want to know everything about something specific and I will do research on the internet instead of sleeping. A few times I have also been obsessed with my body and tried to lose weight (even though my weight was already below normal).

[Shazerac]

Originally Posted by Ralau

Hello. Anyone else who has obsessive thoughts and/or behaviour when (hypo/)manic?

Usually when I'm high I obsessed about cleaning, buying certain things, planning things or I want to know everything about something specific and I will do research on the internet instead of sleeping. A few times I have also been obsessed with my body and tried to lose weight (even though my weight was already below normal).

Um...not only yes but hell yes! That behavior is pretty much textbook hypomania or mania.

Try to be self aware about these behaviors and accept that they are symtoms of mania, and that you don’t have to act on them. Not sleeping is not good for people with bipolar. It really makes things worse.

Sometimes when I get like that and can’t sleep I just lay in bed anyway without distraction, let my thoughts fly and just observe them. My brain is far more interesting to me than anything I find on the internet or Netflix

[SorryShaped]

Originally Posted by Shazerac

Um...not only yes but hell yes! That behavior is pretty much textbook hypomania or mania.

Try to be self aware about these behaviors and accept that they are symtoms of mania, and that you don’t have to act on them. Not sleeping is not good for people with bipolar. It really makes things worse.

Sometimes when I get like that and can’t sleep I just lay in bed anyway without distraction, let my thoughts fly and just observe them. My brain is far more interesting to me than anything I find on the internet or Netflix

You put that so well! Bravo!
Your last paragraph exactly describes how to learn to meditate. It's how I do it anyways, and sometimes I even get to transcend

I can relate to this a lot! Actually, even when I'm stable I have often had a tendency to hyperfocus on one or two things. I don't have ADHD, though. I don't sufficiently fit that criteria when stable. It's more of a personality characteristic for me. My hyperfocusing is more fueled by an excited semi-obsessive interest in the thing/interest at hand. But when I'm hypomanic or even sometimes full blown manic it intensifies, sometimes A LOT. I become able to achieve feats I normally couldn't. My creative and analytical abilities sky rocket. It can get so intense that everything speeds up to near wildness and can even become dysfunctional.

Another example is obsession with a person when hypo/manic. My brain goes haywire and flirtation and maladaptive daydreaming go extreme. I'll have story lines racing through my head about the person (or some situations) some changing based on reality, others all made up in my head. They can include elation and rage in the same minute.

There is an interesting blog article on this topic at https://blogs.psychcentral.com/bipol...hd-hyperfocus/ for anyone interested.

[Unrigged64072835]

I hyper-focus to the point that everyone annoys me unless they're helping. That's when I know something's wrong.

[~Christina]

Yes Yes and yes...

Only shopping I allow is 20.00 at the everything is a dollar store or a new bottle of nail polish I have learned to really rein myself in money wise there is just not enough to ever go around and I cant do that to my husband.

But every thing else you are saying .... Yes .. Very standard Bipolar activities lol Sorry I have to laugh , beats crying over it all

[Pookyl]

Originally Posted by Ralau

Hello. Anyone else who has obsessive thoughts and/or behaviour when (hypo/)manic?

Usually when I'm high I obsessed about cleaning, buying certain things, planning things or I want to know everything about something specific and I will do research on the internet instead of sleeping. A few times I have also been obsessed with my body and tried to lose weight (even though my weight was already below normal).

Yes absolutely! I also become obsessive when I’m in a mixed episode.

Heh, heh, heh. OH yeah!

In the days before internet <gasp!>, I would be SO impatient waiting for the library to open so I could clear off the shelf on >>>insert sudden obsessive interest here<<<!!!! Especially because I'd get a lot of ideas at night. Oh the torment!!!!

And cleaning, yes. Break out the Q-Tips and dental tools!