I'm not talking about symptoms, but for example, I always go on shopping sprees no matter what and I always start new projects. I also tend to fidget a lot. Happens every single time.

You?

[Zeroid]

Buying (often dumb) ****, and coming up with grandiose plans, some of which get follow through.

I did get halfway through a project to make a trellis with wire rope running from the garden fence to the porch roof. It was successful enough to eat the proch roof, and then I destroyed the trellis. Fun times.

ditto the shopping sprees. I'm terrible for that.

what's worse is that I used to hide it all in a cupboard under the stairs (where I live now I don't have a cupboard under the stairs, so I do send it back)

my one is laughing at in appropriate things (or things I wouldn't usually find funny)

I remember once during mania I laughed during my friends funeral. I was highly embarrassed, especially as the person next to me was so serious

I left the funeral and people called me insensitive for weeks after that

I become obsessed with balls

I remember my friend laura used to say to me: no you can't have a ball, it will only make you worse

still didn't stop me from purchasing a ball

at one point had a huge collection- tennis balls, golf balls, footballs, basketballs, exercise balls, balls are still a trigger for mania for me and I really don't know why.

If elated hypomania/mania, I generally always exhibit what I call my "Star of the Show syndrome". As part of that, if in public, I say and do all kinds of crazy things (trying to be extremely humorous) and am usually loud so everyone around can hear. It can turn aggressive. I become disinhibited in various ways. Though hyperspending is not usually a main feature for me, it happens occasionally. However, I am more often too busy putting on some kind of show. I have done rash things in this state, from quitting jobs, to traveling, to drinking too much, reckless driving, and Boy, you can't imagine some of what has come out of my mouth! Grandiosity. Projects - grand or several. Psychosis at worst.

If irritable or mix manic, some of the above, but the anger can be fury and even more aggressive. Yelling and screaming sometimes happens. I sometimes hurt myself by being rammy, hitting myself, punching walls, etc. I'll very often be pacing or running around and talking to myself out loud, even in public.

[unicornlady]

Shopping, spending lots of money in general. Impulsive behavior - risky behavior. They have called me suicidal but I never was when manic, just that my behavior was dangerous. Going on spontaneous trips and things - I drove to another state (2 hours) in the middle of the night just because they had a 24 hour Wendy's. Walking all night.

Edit: also talking fast and more frequently, and being more outgoing, and acting on grand plans. I actually went halfway through the process for booking Carnegie Hall, I just didn't have enough money for the deposit.

[~Christina]

I simply do not have the money to buy things if I’m manic. All our bills are automatically paid the beginning of the month and we follow a strict budget.

My manic is usually ugly angry self loathing and I internalize everything. It isn’t pretty... I can’t focus enough anymore to do more than stay on top of housework, laundry and meals.

[BipolaRNurse]

I overspend, to the extent that I've put my family in bankruptcy two different times. (I can't do it anymore thanks to my low income, but I'd probably still max out my credit card and buy a bunch of stuff I don't even want, let alone need, if I weren't properly medicated.) I also have stupidly grandiose ideas, start projects I rarely if ever finish, become irritable and angry, and behave impulsively. I've been known to bury the needle on the speedometer, zipping down the freeway with the stereo cranked up and screaming at the top of my lungs. It's freakish and I don't enjoy it, especially when I hallucinate and become paranoid.

That's mania. When I'm hypomanic, I'm all happy-sappy and I love everybody and every day is the BESTEST DAY EVER!! I'm energetic and clean the whole house to the point where you could eat off my floors. Colors are more vivid, aromas are more pronounced, and food tastes amazing. I also become hypersexual and want to
bang anyone who'll look at me twice. I like hypomania. But I know it's my enemy too, because there is always the inevitable crash at the end.

[bpcyclist]

I almost always secretly buy many guitars and they start showing up at the house a few days later. Just random guitars. I also seem to greatly enjoy contacting old flames for some reason. I can't imagine why, because I am quite sure they do NOT enjoy it.

I was extremely manic for a prolonged period right before my massive psychotic episode and car crash and catastrophe in 2007. At the time, the industry I was in was rather fragmented and growing at a high rate. Some consolidation was probably going to happen at some point, but no one knew when or by whom. So, I decided to do it. Long story, but I talked to the CEOs and boards of six companies and told them I thought they should merge. Most were in the Bay Area. I can be extremely persuasive when I am manic. And sneaky. Anyhoo, I convinced everybody that we should do this. I would lead it. Everyone was on board. There was only one small problem: I didn't have the money. I had talked to several banks and some were interested, but the money wasn't in the bank yet. Can't do a big deal without the money. That detail I had managed to put into the back of my mind--I would figure it out--because I was so excited about this awesome company we were making. Typical judgement-impaired mania.

So, everything fell apart and later, after it began to filter out, as it always does, that I had suffered a major mental health crisis, I went from being a pretty respected person in my world to being the mentally ill guy. So, when people say that mania is extremely dangerous, it is. You can destroy a long career in an afternoon.

[Phoenix_1]

Until 2013, I had major problems with money. Even after my bankruptcy in 2005, I was able to get a credit card. My whole adult life I was overdrawn at the bank and my credit cards were maxed out. Shopping sprees galore. (I wasn't diagnosed until I was 59).
I was on Abilify in May, and it made me hypomanic. Online shopping became a problem, but I was restricted due to having no credit of any kind, thank heavens. I sold my bicycle to pay for the online shopping I had done. I stopped Abilify and the hypomania went away.
Since 2013, when I went on disability, I have had no credit cards or loans, and I've had a very low fixed income. I have a prepaid Mastercard only. I finally learned to budget, and sometimes I have money left over at the end of the month. Its never a lot of money, but any savings at all is a kind of victory for me. Having no credit is a blessing for me.

[cashart10]

I talk and laugh out loud to myself and just because my thoughts and emotions pour out of my mind. I even do this in public if I’m extremely manic. I use to take extremely long, extremely dangerous drives listening to upbeat music and I had no inhibition so I would even do this with my kids in the car. Now at the first sign of an elevated mood my husband takes my keys. I become insanely (literally) hyper religious. I start doing things that are so crazy they’re hard to even believe possible...this is where it gets really crazy if I’m psychotic. I start to believe that my life fits together like a puzzle and there are “clues” and “warnings” all around me that I am supposed to unlock. I overspend on ridiculous things. I once almost bought a $1200 puppy at a pet store and my son is allergic to dogs. Thankfully my husband was with me and was able to stop this ludicrous behavior. But I have donated major sums that we don’t have and gone on online spending sprees. I pace and talk faster and more. I dance and sing like an idiot and, when my good mood is slightly disrupted, I will lose my mind and scream like a lunatic, throw things, and have even banged my head on the wall. Thankfully not much of this anger has ever really been directed at my kids and I do have a ton of patience when I’m well so they very rarely see this side of me. Of course I also don’t sleep and become hyper sexual. I think that I ooze sex and that everyone who sees me is attracted to me (and I actually am more attractive because of my massive confidence). I usually stop eating and drink tons of water. And, perhaps one of the most bizarre things I do, is become extremely obsessed with someone. It may be a celebrity or it may be someone in my real life. It’s not healthy either way but if it’s someone in my real life, it can get really bad. I try to spend my every waking moment with them, and completely suffocate them with my presence in person or email whatever is available. It is SO unhealthy and unfair to the person. Some examples of this are teachers and therapists I’ve had. But there have been different people. Mania is rough for me and my family. It is much more concerning than depression because, though I may sometimes be suicidal when depressed, I have no inhibitions and am entirely reckless and dangerous when manic.

[NewDonna]

Destructive sexual behavior, shopping sprees, a lot of late night walks, drinking a lot. My manic brings out every thing I am not supposed to be doing, of course lol

[Wild Coyote]

BPII. When hypomanic, I tend to feel very much on edge. I work hard to hide it. I feel overwhelmed by noise, by scents, by light, by other people talking and more!
I lose more sleep and I eventually get to where I have difficulty cognitively, due to the severity of the insomnia.

I am not much of a spender. Once in awhile, I might buy something I am not otherwise very likely to buy. I always wonder what I was thinking when I had bought the item .. or.. I may not recall even buying it. This has happened but has been rare.

In the past 6 weeks, I have started buying, every day. Lol. I have found a company which allows people to order items by placing a small deposit on the items. Items must be returned or paid for by the end of 30 days. I can order a lot and have it sent to my home. without needing much cash/credit. If I keep too much, I could be in trouble.
I have never done anything like this before. My pdoc thinks this may be caused more by MIrapex than by hypomania. My other symptoms do not suggest hypo.
We do not know, for sure, what is causing this change in behavior. It has been harmless so far; I hope it stays harmless.

I have done a few other things when hypomanic. I'd rather not disclose in this forum right now.
Love to ALL

[Victoria'smom]

My leg shakes.

[bpktvikesfan]

every manic episode i have had i have concocted very detailed governmental and military scenarios and everyone is involved in it. I always think i am coming into a massive amount of money and start planning how i can redevelop the city, stuff like that...different episodes are different story lines but it always includes the government and military ( i am a veteran i think thats why) I layer and layer my stories to point everything around me and everything i see fits into my world.....Another thing I learned is I am mean to my oldest daughter, this is odd because during this time i feel closest to her. I am also in great pain when i am manic, but I cant rest my body

I have chains of command throughout my mania world i have found and in several of my episodes i have climbed it high enough to actually meet God and have discussions with him. That is another common thread in my manic episodes