Dysphoric Mania

I just found out what dysphoric mania is and I feel so much less weird. It’s my mixed mood explained and characterized. I’m reading Take Charge of Bipolar and it’s been helpful so far. That uncomfortable rageful feeling where I have a lot of negative energy has a name. Is there anything you guys didn’t know about before that helped you put things in perspective?

I had to look it up; I've just always referred to it as a mixed state. Nothing really helped with it though except perhaps time and med adjustments. The only positive thing about it for me is that one way or the other it eventually ends. Though when it ends in depression, that's even worse. I suppose if you have a T you can work on it in therapy? I have given up on therapy a long, long time ago for myself though.

It helped me to learn of an old description of mania (about 100 years old if not older) that included hypergraphia as one of the symptoms.

now, "Relationship to mania
Hypergraphia can be a symptom of mania, but it's not included in modern diagnostic criteria for mania" (Google search AI, can hallucinate)

For me, it used to be a key symptom of mania. I wish I had known back then that hypergraphia could mean mania.

@Tart Cherry Jam Anyone watching me in the hospital when manic would know hypergraphia is a symptom....they always give us notebooks and I usually fill two of them, usually just making lists of things that happen or that I don't want to forget or that annoy me. I'm sure when they do room searches they get some entertainment from my frantic writings. The last time I was in there I then sat at the unit's computer and typed out all the things my therapist should know. So hypergraphia imposed on hypergraphia.


Funny though that outside the hospital I don't do it much. I think I learned not to when I was working.

Yeah, i get hypergraphia really bad when hypomanic. I'll send someone five emails in a row. Recently, i was in the middle of typing out a series of emails to our condo board president and it seemed there were technical difficulties when i went to send one of them and i wasn't sure it had gotten thru so i grabbed paper and pen and frantically rewrote the contents of my email out hardcopy and dashed down to the building office and stuffed it thru the mail slot then came up and sent more emails.

The president was not amused when i saw him later in the day. He said i was drowning him in emails and to stop and miraculously i did. It hasn't been a problem with him again.

I had the same behavior with the general manager of a fancy bar and restaurant i frequented last time i was hypomanic. I was offended by the staff who were interfering with my captivation with the place and trying to corral me to my seat and stop wandering around and gawking at all the tremendous style and elegance there so i complained via email.

I told the general manager about why i was so transfixed with the place and about my bipolar and how the beautiful darkness of the place was a balm on my hypomanic brain. He had the most stunning reaction and said i was welcome back with open arms! So that time it all worked out. I've been too depressed and ashamed to go back, but it was nice to have his compassion.

I also get hypergraphia here. During hypomania i'm up hours before dawn, typing out responses to each and every thread on the bipolar board and i'm not satisfied til every thread has ME as the terminal poster! I get beautiful euphoric hypomanias tho so i've never had a bad reaction here, tho i'm sure i've worn some people out. It takes long to write, but it's quick to read, and people seem to humor me here. It's probably pretty obvious what's going on.

So that's my long post on hypergraphia!

Balm on your bipolar brain! I liked that expression. May I borrow it for personal use, Jane?

I also get bad hypergraphia when manic.

Sure, Tart Cherry Jam, you're welcome to it!

It was refreshing to see something I experience in print and explained. It's comforting to me and almost grounding. I really appreciate when we can explain a mood that feels so overwhelming and alienating and someone else understands. I appreciate everyone on these boards.
I'm still figuring things out, I get hypomanic and sometimes I'm able to focus and accomplish many things. Other times I'm extremely uncomfortable and rageful. I am getting better with meds and therapy hasn't really been helpful in a minute since I've been struggling through providers and switching around. but what has been helpful is online support, taking care of myself, and educating myself. I also love to do art. I really want to make paper mache